Hath No Fury
by s22
Summary: Neal and Peter need a little extra help catching Adler.  Takes place in between after "Forging Bonds" and "What Happens In Burma"
1. Chapter 1

Hath No Fury: Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.

Pairings: Peter/El, Neal/Kate (for a short moment), Neal/OFC

Author's Note: I'm not a hugh fan of Kate. Just FYI.

* * *

She adjusted her grip on her purse as she climbed up the steps to the Brooklyn home. Ringing the doorbell she waited as she heard the tell-tale clicking of stilettos on hardwood. Frowning she retrieved her phone from her purse.

"Hmmm... this is the right address." She thought glancing at the numbers posted to the right of the door. "Maybe Mozzie has a girlfriend?"

At the release of the deadbolt and the crack of the door opening she looked up, a beautiful brunette smiled at her. _Way_ out of Mozzie's league.

"Can I help you?" the brunette asked.

"I'm sorry I think have the wrong address."

"Are you a friend of Mozzie's?"

"Yes..."

"Oh, you must be Alanna."

"Yes."

"I'm Elizabeth Burke. It's nice to meet you. Please come in, you've got the right address.

"Thank You. " She said as she stepped into the warm, inviting hallway. Before she could inquire as to the whereabouts of her friend, her appeared in the living room.

"Angel!" Mozzie say smiling.

"Moz! It's so good to see you." Alanna said rushing foward to embrace he smaller man.

"Angel? I though your name was Alanna..." Elizabeth said concerned.

Mozzie and Alanna shared a look. When Mozzie nodded Alanna replied smiling. "Mozzie and I first met, he was being... harassed by some very unsavory characters. I stepped in and educated the individuals in the proper way to address someone of Mozzie esteem."

"I though she was an avenging angel, come to smite the unworthy."

Elizabeth laughed.

"First thing he said to me? I thought you would be taller."

All three of them laughed.

"I assure you Ms Burke. I am merely mortal. I just happen to in the right place at the right time. Any way, enough reminiscing about the past. What's the big emergency. You message left a lot of details out. And I know, you don't like discussing sensitive information on the phone because you think big brother is listening to all private conversations, but for goodness sakes Moz, you called me on a secure line. My phone was secure. Secure plus secure equals secures."

"You can never be too sure." Mozzie said.

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Oh Mozzie."

"So the details?"

"We're waiting on a few people."

"A few people."

"My husband and his..."

Behind Alanna, Mozzie made the motion to stop talking.

"And his associate." Elizabeth said.

"Okay..."

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in a while." Mozzie asked changing the subject with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop.

Alanna looked at Mozzie curiously. "On a vacation."

"Vacation." Mozzie said.

"Yes. Vacation Mozzie. You know sun, sand, and surf. I know you and ... I know you don't take a vacation. Hell, when was the last time you left New York?"

"I like New York. So your relaxed and rejuvenated?"

"Relaxed sure, rejuvenated, more or less. Moz, are you in trouble?"

"No, no, nothing more than usual." Moz said unconsciously touching his chest. "Your really here to help someone else?" Moz turned to Elizabeth to intercede.

"Oh, heavens, I haven't even offered you anything to drink. Water? Coffee? Tea? Lemonade?"

"Some coffee would be great. I made some cannolis as a 'Hi I'm back' present for Mozzie. If you're hungry we can eat some?"

Cannolis? With fresh filling and that imported belgium chocolate?" Moz said excited.

Allan shot Mozzie an incredulous look, "Do I do anything half assed?"

Mozzie looked like a kid at Christmas. "Mrs, Suite, please put on the coffee."

"Of course." Elizabeth said.

A few short minutes later, the trio was seated around the Burke's dining room table drinking coffee and munching on cannolis.

"These are delicious Alanna." Elizabeth said delicately biting into her second cannoli."

"I'm glad you like them. Its my mom's recipe. I rarely get the opportunity to make them anymore.

"Oh, are you terrible busy at work?"

"it comes and goes. Mostly it's the traveling and living hotels that make it difficult."

"What do you do?"

"A little bit of everything, but for the last few years I've been doing private security." Alanna said eyeing Mozzie. Silently communicating with Mozzie. "How did much did Elizabeth Burke know about the life Mozzie, and by association her, led?

"Private security." Elizabeth said smiling to herself. She wasn't sure how that fit in with what Mozzie did, but it must be a euphemism for something illegal. She was a friend of Mozzie's.

"Yes, its quite exhilarating." Alanna replied, understanding Elizabeth's smile.

Before Elizabeth could reply, the front door opened. "El, Honey are you home?"

"In the dining room Peter." Elizabeth called.

"The F.B.I husband?" Alanna questioned.

"Yea, but as far as feds go, he's okay." Mozzie said nervously.

"Elizabeth." A familiar voice called.

The blood drained from her face. A cold chill ran down her spine. She turned to glare at Mozzie.

"You 'effein Judas Mozzie." She hissed.

Mozzie stood up, but before he could speak, Peter and Neal walked walked into the living room.


	2. Chapter 2

Hath No Fury: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Usual... don't own 'em.

Author Note: Thanks to januarysunshine13 for being my first reviewer for this story. And as requested a more detail description of Alanna.

* * *

Neal froze. He looked up to see a part of vivid violet eyes, sun kissed skin, petite body, fully chest, and signature dark red locks with streaks of gold. A face he hadn't seen in over six years. A past carefully locked away.

For the first time Peter saw his consultant speechless. Neal always had something to say. It was what made him into the best con-men Peter had come across. He could talk his way out of almost anything. But the appearance of this woman hand rendered his consultant mute. Admittedly the red head was gorgeous, but that had never stopped Neal. Peter was use to beautiful woman falling at Neal's feet. Before either man could speak the red head turned from glaring at Mozzie to glare a Neal. If looks could kill, Neal would be six feet under.

"Of course. I should've known. You two are as think as thieves. I don't even know why I'm surprised. Arg, Alanna you knew this was coming, why didn't you just go with your gut. I swear..." she muttered the last part to herself.

"Alanna?" Mozzie said.

"No Moz. What ever harebrained scheme you've got. No. I won't do it. Find someone else." Giving Mozzie one last glare she turned to Elizabeth an apologetic look crossing her face. "Mrs. Burke, thank you for the coffee and the company. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry I can't stay longer. We should have lunch the next time your in the city." Turning to Peter she smiled, albeit it was a bit forced. "Agent Burke, you have a lovely home. Best of luck what ever case your currently working on." With that she gathered her things and moved to the door. A gentle but firm hand restrained her.

"Lanna."

The underwritten sadness made her pause. But the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. No he would not do this to her. He couldn't con her. Neal was very gifted, but she wouldn't let him manipulated. In another time, in another place, it would have been different. It was all about being able to one up each other. After all the mark of a good conman was the ability to con other conmen.

"No, Caffery." She hissed.

At the use of his last name he felt a stab of pain. "Lanna, please."

"You don't get to call me Lanna. For all your concerned, I'm dead. I'm not like other women, you don't get to bat those baby blues at me and expect me to fall at your feet. I know who you are. I know your past better than anyone else. I owe you nothing."

At her "I'm dead." comment Neal flinched. Peter and Elizabeth looked at him in concern. Mozzie looked slightly confused.

"Alanna," Mozzie started. "Please just hear me out. You might not owe Neal anything, but you still owe me a few favors."

Alanna looked at Mozzie. She sighed angrily. "Your lucky I still like you Haversham, although your skating on thin ice."

"Why don't we all sit down. I'll make more coffee. Peter come help me." El said.

"But..." Peter started to protest. He wanted to know about this woman standing in his living room, drinking coffee with his wife. She could be dangerous. Besides she knew Neal's past. In all his research about Neal, he'd never come across her. To be honest, Neal's pass was pretty empty. No mention of him before he turned 18.

"Now Dear." El commanded.

The husband and wife left, leaving the three friends alone in the dining room. Alanna stood there, not really wanting to spend another second in the same room as Neal Caffery.

"Spill Mozzie. I take it this has to do with that cryptic message you left on my voice mail?"

"Yes, well you see, a few months ago Kate..."

Alanna's eye widened and then narrowed."KATE? Seriously? You want me to help Kate. Let me guess. Kate's gotten herself in too deep and she needs you and boy wonder over here to bail her out. Well, the answer is no. Capital N, Capital O. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a glutton for punishment. Enough is enough. You two can help Kate on your own, besides you have the freakin' FBI, I'm sure they could help. Good Bye."

* * *

Peter who was not paying any attention to his wife stood as close to the kitchen door as he could, trying to figure out who the new guest was. El realized her husband was not listening to her and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Peter!" She whisper yelled.

Peter looked slightly bashful.

* * *

"Alanna we need you." Neal said.

"There are plenty of hitters out there who could help."

"We don't... we don't need a hitter Alanna, we need a ha...a technician. This isn't about Kate" Neal said stuttering. "Well, not entirely."

"Of course it's about Kate, Caffery. She was always getting you into trouble. Always pushing you to take more risks. It's always about Kate. Count me out. Find someone else who can hack the gps anklet your currently sporting. You know what I know a few people. I'll give you the names Mozzie and they'll probably help you."

"My gps can't be hacked." Neal said quietly.

"Then you've been talking to the wrong people. If it has a cpu it can be hacked." Alanna bit back.

"We wouldn't trust them and they don't have the same...they don't work within the same boundaries as we do." Mozzie explained. "Besides...

"Mozzie, what the hell are you talking about. Money talks. Pay someone enought for their silence you won't have a problem."

"Well, funds aren't quite that easy to come across..." Mozzie tried to explain.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. You know what, I don't even want to know."

"Alanna, Kate's dead. She died in an airplane explosion six months ago." Neal explained in anguish. He looked down, ringing his hands together.

"She's dead..." Alanna said incredulously. "Well I find that hard to believe, seeing as how I saw her off the coast of Argentina."

"You saw her in Argentina?" Neal said eyes wide. "No you couldn't have. I saw the plane explode. I know she died. She would have contact me if she had made it out. She loves me."

Alanna locked away at the end of Neal's declaration. "Yes, I did Neal. I saw her with my own two eyes. I have perfect vision. I know what I saw. And it was definitely Kate Moreau lying on the deck of some rich dude's yacht, eating oysters and drinking champagne."

"You were far away, maybe the girl just looked like Kate." Neal tried to rationalize.

"I guess if you call four feet away, far. I was on the damn boat. And she was wearing that necklace she loved some much. She looked pretty relax to me, not a care in the world."

Neal looked torn. Kate was alive? But why hadn't she contacted him. Maybe he missed something in the mail? His mind was going a million miles a second, he was trying to wrap his head around the possibility that Kate was alive.

* * *

When Peter heard Alanna mention Kate and alive in the same sentence he glanced at El and entered the dining room.

"Kate's alive and in Argentina." Peter asked.

"Well, she was a few days ago, But she's probably gone. I overheard a conversation about a needing to pick up a package and needing to meet someone guy? Victor? Virgil?"

"Vincent?" Peter asked.

"Yes, Vincent. That's the name. Anyway she was suppose to meet Vincent somewhere. I didn't hear the rest of the conversation."

"Well this is certainly news."

"Is it possible?" Neal asked Peter quietly. "Could she have survived the explosion?"

"We never recovered a body Neal. I'd say its entirely possible."

Neal couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit of hope bubbling in his chest. But why hadn't she contacted him? And what was she doing with Vincent Adler?

"Neal, you know you can't go chasing after Kate. Besides Argentina is a little outside your radius."


	3. Chapter 3

Hath No Fury: Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em.

AN: Lookin' for a beta... anyone interested?

* * *

El entered the standoff with a fresh coffee pot and two extra cups. "Why don't you all sit down and you can discuss everything."

Alanna let out an unladylike snort. All eyes turned to her. She wanted to make a break for it and escape this uncomfortable and quite frankly unwanted reunion. When she evaluated her options, she saw Neal blocking her way through the front door and to the relatively safety of her car; behind her, Mozzie stood between her and the backdoor. While Alanna on principal, was opposed to hurting the few friends she had, but she would rather not get any closer to Neal than absolutely necessary. She could probably get around Moz with little effort. If she was being completely honest with herself, being this close to Neal for the first time in 6 years was making her a little crazy. Her heart was racing, her palms were damp. Damn it, he should not be affecting her like this, not after six years. Shaking her head as if that would clear it she was preparing to make her getaway when Peter spoke to her.

"Ms..."

"It's best if we stick with first name only Agent Burke. Mozzie please move." Alanna replied.

"We need your help. You're the only one with the right mix of skills."

"Mozzie there are plenty of hitters and technicians out there."

"What's a hitter?" Peter asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Really it depends on who your asking, a hitter could be interpreted as a a hit man, an assassin." Alanna said wondering how Peter would react.

Peter moved closer to El, shielding his wife behind him. Before he could panic too much, Neal spoke up.

"Alanna isn't that kind of hitter..."

"How would you know? You spent the last four years in Supermax." Alanna said petulantly as she sat down and refilled her coffee cup.

"Alanna, please don't make this any harder than it already is." Moz said exasperated. When Alanna wanted to be difficult, she could make everyone's life a living hell.

"The other kind of hitter is someone you either hire or is part of your crew who is in-charge of protecting the primary or the team as a whole. A good hitter will be able to protect his/her team from start to finish without any issues. A great hitter can anticipate problems and rectify them before they become an issue. Its not just about defense. Offense plays an important role too."

"And that's what you do." Peter said.

"For the most part." Alanna said.

Peter looked at the red she was barely 5'3" and looked like she would blow away in a wind storm. She didn't seem like she'd make a very good "hitter" but may be that was the point. You work with what you've got and if people underestimated her, she'd have the upper hand.

"It's not your 'hitter' skills we want." Neal said trying to take a seat next to her.

Alanna used her right foot to prevent Neal from pulling out the chair. "I don't think so Caffery. If you want me to even listen to whatever con you've got going on you can sit over there, as far away from me as possible." She said archly.

"Alanna."

"Neal, just sit over there." Peter said trying to get the conversation moving along.

Neal looked at Peter and sullenly took the seat directly across from Alanna. He wanted to pull Alanna away from prying eyes and grill her about Kate. He just couldn't believe she would betray him. They were in love.

"Alanna, We're trying going after the man who tried to kill me." Mozzie said quietly taking the seat next to her.

"So you do need my hitter skills." Alanna said leaning back with her eyes closed. Plans raced through her head, what supplies she would need, what favors she could call in to get the necessary information to track the dead man.

Peter looked at Alanna. His eyes were trained on the petite woman. "You are not planning a hit at my dinner table Mozzie."

"No. No Alanna. We don't need a hitter." Mozzie said quickly.

"We already have the shooter." Neal said.

"Okay, then what am I doing here? You want him eliminated in prison? That's going to be a little harder. It'd probably be easier to do it on the outside. No guns though. I hate the things. Besides its not really a challenge if you just shoot the guy from a 100 meters out."

Peter and El looked at each other. Neal and Alanna had the same aversion to guns.

"I thought you weren't an assassin." Peter said.

"I'm not, but there are certain lines I'm willing to cross to protect my friends." Alanna said.

"You'd kill someone."

"I never out right said I'd kill someone." Alanna said.

Peter stole a glance at Neal, the con man looked longingly at Alanna, whether it was because she had information about Kate or other something else, he had no idea. He wondered what the story behind Alanna and Neal's relationship was.

"We aren't after the shooter. We have him in custody. We're after the man who hired him. Vincent Adler." Neal said.

"Well, Adler's in Argentine. Well I think he is. Argentina has extradition laws but you'll have to a solid case to convince them to release him in to U.S. custody. So good luck on that front. If he's smart, he's paid off some very well connected government officials. If he's smarter, he's left Argentina and gone somewhere with no extradition laws."

"Alanna, I need..." Neal started.

"Agent Burke, please inform Mr. Caffery to direct all communication through either yourself or Mr. Haversham."

Peter looked at Neal and then at Alanna. Neal looked frustrated. Peter was amused at how off-kilter Neal was. His usual charm was utterly and completely ineffective when dealing with Alanna. It was like she had spent years with him and built up an immunity.

"So how do you know each other." Peter asked.

"It's a long story best forgotten." Alanna said tensely.

"Alanna, please." Neal pleaded.

Alanna looked at Neal. His blue eyes wide, a version of her own pout except sadder and more pathetic. Before she could answer her phone rang. Saved by the bell.

"I need to take this." Alanna said standing up.

As she passed Neal on the way to the front door, he grabbed her hand delicately. His hand was warm in hers.

"Promise me you'll come back after you phone call."

Alanna didn't say anything as she extracted her hand from his. She shut the door behind her and Neal couldn't help but feel like he had lost something incredibly rare and precious. It was an odd feeling. He had never felt like this when Kate left. He was sad when Kate left him, but he had never felt this immediate pang of loss.

"How bad did you screw up?" Mozzie asked.

"On a scale of one to ten? Probably close to twenty. You know Lanna Mozzie, she can hold a grudge. We haven't talked in over six years." Neal said staring into his coffee cup.

"Twenty? That isn't screwing up, that's like having a con go south and then getting caught by the FBI. I didn't know it was this bad." Mozzie replied.

"We had words." Neal tried to explain.

"Words... When she saw you I thought the Suit was going to have to use lethal force to save you." Mozzie said.

"Oh, Neal, what happen?" El asked, rubbing the young man's shoulder.

"Kate happened." Alanna said from the doorway. "Poetic justice having a conman conned. Well to be honest any one but Neal knew she was playing him. She was an amateur. But there's no accounting for good taste. Neal was blinded by some blue eyes and a nice rack."

El looked at Alanna and started putting two and two together.

"Alanna."

"That was a contact of mine. Kate's definitely working for Adler."

"No! Kate's dead. I saw her get blown up." Neal protested.

"We saw the plane blow up, We never actually recovered a body." Peter said gently. " We just assumed she didn't make out of there alive."

"It still doesn't mean she's working with Adler. He's probably blackmailing her. She wouldn't be working with him otherwise."

"You always were blind when it comes with to Kate. Even with all this information in front of you, you still won't entertain the notion that Kate is not who she seemed. You're still choosing her over the friends that are actually around. The ones who have stood by you thick or thin. Typically." Alanna said angrily.

"It's not like you've been around lately." Neal threw back.

"I wasn't talking about me. Mozzie's been with you a long time. And what about Agent Burke? He went out on a limb for him and your willing to through it all away. For what? A girl you barely know. She conned you, played you when you first met, orchestrated an elaborate scheme to convince you she needed the music box, and even now she manipulating you. You just can't come to terms with your precious Kate betraying you."

"We went through a lot after Adler."

"No Neal, we went through a lot." Alanna said shaking her head. "Kate and Vincent had you pegged from the start."

"Kate wouldn't betray me." Neal said with conviction.

"It's like talking to a freakin' brick wall. How do you deal with it Peter?" Alanna said throwing her hands up in the air.

Peter gave Alanna an knowing look.

"Fine Neal. Believe what you want. It's obvious you won't believe me, so why bother. I've done my duty. I warned you then and you got burned. I'm warning you now. I only hope Peter and Mozzie can keep you from getting into too much trouble. "

"No Kate loves me. You're just jealous."

"Jealous. You're going to go with that. Fine. I'm done with this."

"Your mad I picked Kate over you. I stopped loving you and left you to be with Kate." Neal yelled in anger and walked out. He couldn't stand to hear any more lies about Kate. She loved him. He was sure. There's no way she would betray him, right? If he was being honest with himself the evidence seem pretty stacked against her.

At Neal's hurtful words, Alanna eyes looked haunted. Her body seem to sag for a moment but then a like a mask in all melted away. El observed the young woman. This was a woman in love with a man who no longer loved her back. How... sad.

"I thought you broke up because you didn't want to move to New York."

Alanna had a small smile. "Mozzie you know me. I would have moved any where in the world to be with Neal. I had a previous commitment which prevented me from joining Neal in New York like we planned. Not that it mattered. By the time I got here, Neal was in love with Kate. I guess... Neal didn't love me as much I loved him. Anyway, look where it got him. Four years in Supermax and another four years for breaking out. Threw away eight years for a girl who broke up with him in prison with 4 ½ months left on his sentence." It was odd talking in front of people who barely knew her, but Mozzie deserved some sort of explanation and she felt comfortable around the Burkes.

El wanted to hit Neal upside the head. This woman obviously loved him, would and could probably move heaven and earth for him, and he walked away from her. Oh, Neal, Kate really had you all turned around didn't she. You didn't know up from down or right from left. El silently promised to help Neal get over Kate, and maybe help heal a few broken hearts along the way.

Peter looked at Alanna. He thought back to when he was looking into Neal's past, never once had he come across Alanna.

"Like Neal and Mozzie, I have other skills. I strategically distanced myself when you started investigation Neal for the bond forgery."

"But where have you been? I thought you moved back to San Francisco after you and Neal broke up."

"Left the country." Alanna said looking out the window. "Left right after we broke up. This is only the second time i've been home in almost six years."

"You've only been home twice in six years." El said astonished.

"There wasn't anything left for me. A good portion of my life was spent with Neal. Doing... allegedly doing things that were, well not entire on the up and up. But that's life, right?"

Peter watched in quiet contemplation. Neal never lacked in female companionship should he want it. He always thought it was because he waiting for Kate. Both before he was with her and after she left him. But it sounded more like Alanna was the reason he never seem to have a girlfriend before he met Kate. Meeting Alanna answered a lot of unspoken questions. Alanna was fierce, intelligent, beautiful. Exactly the time of woman that would attract Neal.

"Where did you ed up going?" Mozzie asked.

"Here and there. I spent my time traveling the world. I started in Hong Kong, traveled through Asia, Russia, and Eastern Europe. I spent a little time at a buddhist temple in the mountains of Nepal. Went a few rounds in the underground fight clubs that exist in Russia and Eastern Europe."

"You fought in fight clubs." Peter exclaimed. In the short time he had met her he was becoming fonder and fonder of the young woman. He worried about her obvious disregard her own safety. She did, it seem, have Neal's best interest in mind.

"Yea. After breaking up with Neal, I didn't want to do anything that reminded me of him. So I did something that was the complete opposite of all things I use to do with Neal."

"And that led you to fight clubs." Peter said questioningly.

"The things Neal and I, allegedly did require finesse, intellect, planning. Fighting in a fight club is total emersion into situation, its different than pulling a con. You see the MMA on the t.v.? There are rules involved. In a fight club there aren't any. When you enter that ring there's a possibility that you will be fighting for your life. You can't do anything but focus on your opponent."

"And all thoughts of an ex-lover are gone." Elizabeth concluded.

Alanna sighed. "Yes. It's actually how I got into private security. I'm unassuming. When you assess a threat you don't think tiny red headed woman."

"Unassuming." Mozzie laughed.

"I attract attention because I'm pretty, not because I can disarm a guy in less than 10 seconds. Anyway I've traveled the world protecting people."

"Is that why you've only been back twice?"

"No. I came back for different reasons."

"When." Neal asked from the doorway.

"Why do you care. I'm just the jealous ex, remember. You had your precious Kate. Why does it matter to you when I cam back?"

"Alanna, I'm sor-"

"Save it Neal. I cam back twice before today. This is the third time I've been back and I only came back because I heard Mozzie was looking for me. And I had a little business to take care of stateside. I didn't know you were working for the FBI or even out. Usually when I come across information you I try to block it out." Alanna muttered the last part.

"How was Hong Kong?" Mozzie asked.

"The Hong Kong job was you?" Neal asked.

"What Hong Kong job." Peter asked suspiciously.

"Better if we didn't get into the details." Alanna said looking at Neal. "And so maybe the Hong Kong job was me. You think I don't have the skills to pull off something like the Hong Kong job? You and I both know who the more capable conman is."

"No, Lanna. Lanna about Kate."

"If you going to ask me why I think Kate betrayed you, its probably about because she's the devil incarnate. But that's just my opinion. Oh, I know..."

"Enough Alanna. I get it." Neal said loosing his calm veneer again.

"You always bring out the child in me." Alanna said shaking her head. "Of course, its not hard since you're pretty much a child yourself."

"Hey, that's uncalled for. I am definitely more mature than a child." Neal protested.

"Neal, you have an unnatural fascination with shiny objects, impulse control issues, you can't ever sit still for more than three minutes, and the only thing that can hold our attention for more than five minutes was... is Kate."

"You held my attention for more than five minutes." Neal said smirking.

"Yes and something shiny and new came along and look where it got you. Don't get me wrong I'm glad you have good people in your life like Peter and Elizabeth, but you never would have been caught if it weren't for Kate."

"Maybe I needed to be caught." Neal retorted.

"Neal you and I both know you could have gone years without ever being caught. But you got cocky and kept pulling bigger cons, high profile jobs, taking unnecessary risks, all to try to get her back after you left to help Alex. Besides, I seem to remember you..." Taking a glance at Peter who was still listening intently. "I seem to remember a certain ninja turtle heist you allegedly pulled."

"Well,"

"At least he only got four years. He's lucky, bond forgery has a maximum sentence of 10 in New York." Mozzie said. "Well, eight if you count the face when he tried to escape they pretty much reset the clock"

"Lucky? Luck has nothing to do with it." Alanna scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Neal said curiously.

"Nothing." Alanna replied quickly, not meeting Neal or Mozzie's eyes.

"Alanna tell me. Please." Neal pleaded.

"It's one of the times I came back." Alanna said quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

Hath No Fury: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em

* * *

"One of the times you came back." Neal said.

"Yes, after you were caught. I came back briefly." Alanna said "Just for a week. Nothing to get excited about."

"Yes, but why?" Peter asked. He voice the question on everyone's mind.

Alanna looked exasperated. "When you caught Neal, Agent Burke, I came back. Simple as that."

"No that is not the reason why you came back. You said I was lucky to only get four years. Why?"

"Because I called in a few favors." Alanna yelled. "The judge wanted to make an example out of you. The pretty boy felon. I knew some people, cashed in some favors and made sure to get you only four years, the minimum for bond forgery, instead of the maximum ten. I couldn't keep you out of Supermax because I couldn't convince them you weren't a flight risk." When looked around she felt like a bug under a microscope. Abruptly she stood, grabbed her things and made a quick get away.

"She..." Neal started. He didn't know what to think. Alanna had pulled strings to get him a reduce sentence.

"I always thought you got the minimum sentence because you were a non-violent offender." Peter said.

"You totally owe her." Mozzie said.

"I know Moz. I owe her a lot. She's pulled me out of a lot of tight situations. I need to talk to her." Neal said getting up.

"She's long gone, Neal. She's a master of disappearing. Not to mention I think she drove that Lotus Exige that was parked outside."

"She said she was in New York to finish a few things. You can call Moz, and set up a meeting." Neal said excited.

"Sure, but we're going to have to be upfront with her this time. No surprises this time. She'll expect it. I'm not sure she'll even come to a meeting if she knows its with you." Mozzie said.

"Do you think you could set up a meet?" Neal asked.

"Well she did come back because I was looking for her. It might take a few days to convince her, not to mention a little something to sweeten the pot so to speak."

" What, flower, chocolate, jewelry, wine?"

Mozzie looked at Neal. "Seriously Neal? Do you know who we're dealing with? Alanna will hurt you if you get within 5 feet of her right now. She's got a temper and you know you don't want to be within striking distance."

"I know Alanna isn't like other girls. And I'm well aware of her temper."

"Guys, before I decide to involve Alanna, I need to know more information. Who exactly is she?"

Mozzie and Neal glanced at each other. They seem to behaving a silent conversation. It went a little like this:

Neal quirked an eyebrow at Mozzie, "You called her."

"You've known her longer."

"She isn't mad at you."

"Yea, she is."

"Please?"

"No Way. And don't even think about breaking out the puppy... Damn it Neal."

"Alanna is an associate of mine, ours." Mozzie said. "She's good with computers and other technologies. I may have discovered she has a classified government file. Top level clearance."

"A classified, top level clearance, file." Peter said. "Should I be concerned? Of course I should be."

"Peter, Alanna has her own sense of right and wrong. She just... sometimes she... works around the rules instead of with the rules."

"Great. You want me to offer a job to a woman I barely know, who has a classified government file. This is going to go over great with the top brass."

"Alanna is very good at what she does."

"You've both worked with her before?"

"Yes. She's very professional." Mozzie said. "Meticulous. Poised. Epitome of grace under fire."

"Neal?"

"Yes, Peter, I've worked with her." Neal said.

"Okay, but that still doesn't give me a reason why she should work with us. What can she do for us that we don't already have covered?"

"She good with technology and she's incredibly athletic."

"I still don't see why we need her. Is she a con artist?" Peter questioned.

"Not in the classical sense. I don't even think she's aware she does it." Neal said smiling.

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked.

"Alanna has this… unique... ability to get people to do what she wants. I wouldn't really classify it as being able to con someone, but its close. The only thing is, she doesn't do it on purpose."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really know how to describe it. She doesn't really use it on a job. Its like she looks at you and then everything gets hazy and when she finally looks away, you realize its been ten minutes and you have no idea what is going on, but you've handed her the keys to your Porsche." Neal said shaking his head. Obviously he had been subject to "the Look."

Peter looked at Neal as if to say "Are you serious?" "When did you have a Porsche?"

"I may have borrowed it, but that's not the point. I'm telling you, you have to see it to believe it. The funny thing is, she can't con if her life depended on it. When she tries, the effort always feels force, too over the top. The second she stops trying though, BAM!, she could get you to hand over your life savings in ten seconds flat."

"And we want her because? Is she going to use her "look" on Adler?"

"Don't underestimate 'The Look'." Mozzie said, shuddering slightly. He had been on the receiving side of it and it really was kind of creepy. It was like your body was moving but you weren't in control.

"Besides her technological expertise? She's got contacts all over the world. Even before she left six years ago, she knew a lot of people from seemingly everywhere. If we're going to find Adler we'll want her help. On top of that I think she developed some facial recognition software that will be helpful. You could probably have her set it up for use at airports. She can also probably track Adler's money. And get us more information about his whereabouts. " Neal explained.

"I've got the forensic accounting department on the money, and agents on getting a location." Peter said.

"True, but Alanna will be faster. You want the best of the best working on the Adler case, she could also probably help out on some other cases."

"There isn't a lot of information Alanna can't find. She's very talented with a computer."

""Really." Peter said interestedly. "We have an entire cyber crimes division with the best and brightest from MIT and Cal Tech."

"Somethings you don't learn in a classroom." Neal said. "Alanna has a practical experience."

"It's why she's probably never been on your radar. Cyber crimes might have something on her But I wouldn't be surprise if there's a kill switch on all of her aliases." Mozzie said.

"A kill switch." Peter said.

"Yea, if people access her file, it goes poof. Disappears from existence."

"Okay, so she's essentially an athletic hacker, who unconsciously manipulates people into getting what she wants." Peter said summarized.

"It's over simplifying it but yes."

"You really think she can help."

"Yes Peter." Neal said solomnly.

"And she isn't going to double cross us."

"Alanna is loyal. Stubborn and can hold a grudge like nobody's business. But when it comes down to the wire, you want her on your team."

"How did you meet her?"

Neal looked at Peter. "What? I don't see how that's relevant." Neal said.

"Humor me." Peter said.

"I picked her pocked in the 9th grade."

"You picked her pocket." El said smiling.

"Well, she wouldn't give me the time of day. And I wanted to know who the new girl was. I only took her id and left a note telling her to meet me after school if she wanted it back."

"And?"

"I impressed her with my lifting skills. She told me her name and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Neal said smiling.

"Alright, Mozzie set up a meeting for later this week. I have to get the okay form Hughes first." Peter said.

"Will do Suit."

"Uh, Mozzie, don't take this the wrong way, but maybe you aren't the right person to ask for this meeting."

"Mrs. Suite?" Mozzie said slightly offended.

"Well, its just that Alanna seemed pretty peeved about the whole Neal ambush thing. Do you think she'd talk your call?"

Mozzie thought for a second. "You're right. She going to hold a grudge and I like all my body parts where they are."

"I'll call her and set up a lunch date. We can chat and maybe do a little shopping."

Peter wasn't too keen on his wife hanging out with a criminal, even if Neal and Mozzie trusted her. "El..."

"I'll be perfectly alight, but if it will make you feel better I'll make sure you get to come to lunch too."

"Well..."

"Oh shoot. Alanna didn't leave her number. Mozzie..."

"Check you pocket." Neal said.

El reached into her pocket and pulled out a simple but classic business card.

Alanna

(XXX)XXX-XXXX

"I'll go call her." El said.

"She's good." Peter said as he discretly checked his pocket. Feeling a piece of paper where his wallet should have been, he pulled it out.

Check Caffery's pocket. - A

Peter looked at Neal accusingly. "Neal did you?"

"What? No. I didn... damn, she's gotten better." Feeling his pocket he signed and pulled out Peter's wallet. "I've always regretted teaching her that."

"You mean." El said.

"Yup. She lifted Peter's wallet and some how put it in my pocket."

"I think she's trying to show you up." Mozzie said.

"Probably. She's very competitive." Neal said.

"Great. I've got more criminals working for me than agents." Peter said.

"Well, only if you can convince her to help us."

El left to call Alanna while Peter, Neal and Mozzie sat quietly digesting all the things they had learned.

"Well, she's agreed to meet us for lunch." El said smiling.

"Us?" Neal said hopefully. He wanted to mend fences with Alanna and regain her friendship. While he knew he could always count on her to have his back in a life or death situation, since getting out of prison, he noticed he missed his friendship with the fiery redhead. Alanna always told him the truth, even when the truth hurt. She and Mozzie were always the voice of reason.

"Sorry Neal. Just Peter and I."

"How mad do you think she would be if I just happen to be at the restaurant you all were having lunch at."

"Neal, we're trying to get her to work with us. Antagonizing her is probably not the best way to convince her."

"True. So that's a no-go on the coincidental meeting at lunch."

"You going to try to mend fences?" Moz asked.

"If I can." Neal said.

"It won't be easy. This may be one of the greatest challenges you face."

"I know. But I have to try. We've let things go on for too long. I..." Neal said in a rare moment of insecurity. "I miss her. She was my best friend. No offense Moz. Nobody can put things into perspective like she can."

"None taken. And she is very good at telling the truth." Mozzie said. He would be glad when Alanna and Neal became friends again. She could help keep Neal from getting into too much trouble. Which was he was getting into more now that he was working for the FBI.


	5. Chapter 5

Hath No Fury: Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em except for Alanna.

* * *

On Thursday, Alanna, Peter and Elizabeth were seated in a private corner of Gramercy Tavern waiting for their meal.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Agent Burke? I'm pretty sure this isn't a social call. And before you ask, no I won't tell you about Neal's past. I may not like him very much right now, but I won't betray his confidences."

"Fair enough. Mozzie and Neal mentioned you were loyal." Peter said. "We're thinking about adding another consultant to our team."

"Really. I was under the impression the FBI hired the best and brightest from around the country. I haven't even graduated college." Alanna said honestly.

"It was brought to my attention, that practical experience may trump educational experience, in some areas."

"Very diplomatic." Alanna smirked.

"In the spirit of full disclosure, I should warn you that if you decide to work with you, you'll probably have to work with Neal."

"I figured, but I'm a rational person. I can be professional and separate my feeling towards Neal from working with you, Peter. Mozzie said as far as suits go, you are honest and fair."

"High praise from Mozzie." Peter said.

"High praise indeed." Alanna said.

"We'd like to offer a position as a technical consultant to help us catch Vincent Adler."

"Vincent Adler. That's a name I haven't heard in a while."

"You know who he is."

"Orchestrated a huge ponzi scheme. Took thousands of people for million of dollars."

"You know..."

"Yes, Neal and Mozzie tried to a long con on him. But I don't know where he is."

"Neal mentioned you possess skills our agents and current consultants don't have. I understand you are good with computers?"

"You could say that." Alanna said.

"Where did you learn about computers?"

"Well, besides being a a child of the Age of Technology, I'm mostly self taught."

"Will you work with us?"

"I have a few stipulations."

"Stipulations." Peter said. "Alright, let's have them."

"You'll need to keep Neal on a tight leash. I haven't spent very much time with Neal, since we last saw each other six years ago. And I'm still wrapping my head around seeing him. I don't know I guess I'm still a little sensitive about the whole deal. As you can imagine we didn't part on very good terms. And in the spirit of full disclosure, we know each other very well and we are very good at getting underneath each other's skin."

"Duly noted. Anything other than keeping Neal in check?"

"I want refusal power. I'll help you with the Adler case, but I reserve the right to say no to a case."

"Fair enough, but once you sign on you can't recuse yourself because it might incriminate someone you know."

"Alright, but any of my past... experiences cannot be used to prosecute me."

"I'll see what I can do. But I make not promises."

"Okay."

"We'll need to run a background check. I have preliminary approval, but the higher ups will require more information on who we bring on board. You understand?" Peter said.

"Is that your way of saying you need my last name?"

"It would be helpful."

"Salvatore. But I should warn you, I'll need to make a few phone calls before you run your background check. I can probably get you 24 hours of access if I can convince the right people. While over seas I've helped a few different agencies with some operations. I try not to get directly involved but I do get in my fair share of trouble. There are certain branches of government who may object to you accessing their files. I'll remove some of the personal roadblocks in your way..."

"You mean the kill switch associated with your name." Peter said.

"Yes. If you can access it, you can read it, memorize it, but don't try to print it. At the end of the 24 hours everything will be inaccessible. And I'm requesting that only you look at my classified file."

"You know you have one."

"I did some work for the CIA. Obviously nothing I can talk about, but the government is notorious for its paper work. I'd also like to request Jones and Barrigan as the only individuals who help your research."

"No Neal?"

"I'm sure he's not interested in what I've been doing for the last six years. But no, I don't object to him looking into my past, if he can sit still for longer than three minutes."

Peter and El laughed.

"He dos have trouble sitting still. Has he always been like this? He's always fidgeting." El asked.

"From the first time I met him. Neal has never been good at focusing on something unless it involved a heist. He was very precocious teenager. Intelligence, creativity and those blue eyes got him into a lot of trouble as a teen. Of course his charm and that smile got him out of it."

Before the trio could continue their discussion, their waiter arrived with their meal.

* * *

After a delicious lunch, a bill that nearly gave him a heart attack, and leaving Alanna and El to their afternoon of shopping for El's latest client, Peter made his way back to the White Collar offices. As soon as he stepped of the elevator and stepped through the door, Neal pounced. Peter had instructed the ex-con to review mortgage fraud cases under the watchful eyes of Clinton and Diana.

"Peter!" Neal said overexcited. He was relieved to see his FBI handler. "So how was lunch? Did you talk about me? Is Lanna joining our team? She'd be a wonderful addition to the team. I'll even share my desk with her." Neal rambled on, as he followed Peter up the steps and into his office.

"One question at a time Neal." Peter said. Looking at his watch he saw it was close to 2pm.

Neal didn't know if he should find out if they talked about him or if Lanna was joining the team. He decided to ask the later, "Is Lanna joining the team?"

"We need to do a background check, and Hughes still has final sign off. And she had a few stipulations I need to discuss with Hughes."

Peter double fingered pointed and Diana and Jones came up to his office. "I'm thinking about adding a another consultant."

Neal's eyes lit up. "But she said yes?" At Neal's uncharacteristic outburst Diana and Clinton looked at him.

"She hasn't committed."

"Oh." Neal said dejected.

"Boss, who's the new consultant." Diana ask.

"Her name is Alanna Salvatore. I want a full background check. We only have 24 hours to complete our search, due to the sensitive nature of her background."

"Sir?"

"She's implied she has a classified file. I want you and Jones to look into her life. Go as far back as you need to, but given what I know about her background, we may not find much. She's a computer hacker."

"We'll start looking immediately." Diana.

"Good." Peter said. "Our 24 hours starts at 2pm sharp. I want as much information as you can dig up. Don't start a second before 2pm. Give me periodic updates." Diana and Clinton got up to begin their search.

"Peter." Neal said.

"Neal, give me a second. I want to get a search going."

Peter opened a new window on his desktop and typed her name in the FBI search tool. At exactly 2pm he hit go and watched the computer start its search.

"Alright Neal. What else do you want to know."

"What did Lanna say? What position did you offer her?"

"Alanna made it clear she was hesitant to join us. I offerer her a technical analyst consulting position. Since she's never been convicted or even prosecuted she won't be a confidential informant. She's is on board to help us catch Adler."

"Do you think Hughes will let her join?"

"He seemed very interested when I mentioned her. We don't have a dedicated technical analyst assigned to us by the bureau, and out technical staff is overworked as it is, so I don't see why he wouldn't. The only real reason to deny her would because of past transgressions."

"I doubt you'll find anything."

"You never know, we're good at kicking up dust."

"You mentioned stipulations. What were they?"

"The first was to keep you on a tight leash."

"What? Why would I need to be kept on a tight leash?"

"For whatever reason, I sensed some reservation about working with you. I'm assuming your past working relationship was not good."

"It was fine." Neal said, rather defensively. "We got along great."

"She also wants immunity for past transgressions."

"Smart."

"Yes, I'm not sure that will fly with the top brass."

"It doesn't hurt to ask. It is a deal breaker?"

"No not necessarily. She also wanted the right to refuse a case."

"Wouldn't she already have it? She isn't a confidential informant. There's no threat of being thrown back in jail because she said no."

"True, but I didn't tell her that."

"Peter, I think I'm rubbing off on you."

A few hours later, Peter looked up form is screen and looked at his watch, it was just past six. He got up and went to the bullpen. "Diana. Jones. Caffery." Peter called.

His two agents and Neal joined him in his office.

"Update?" Peter asked.

Diana stepped forward. "Alanna Marie Salvatore. 28 years old, born here in New York City. Daughter of Victor and Emily Salvatore. Victor Salvatore was a wealthy businessman with a lot of connections. Emily was a housewife who died when Alanna was eight, drunk driver. Her father never remarried. He died when she was 10 of a heart attack, he was only 38. Alanna was entered in to foster care. She moves around for a while before getting lost in the system at 14."

"What do you mean lost in the system."

"The best I can tell is that she had trouble a few of the foster homes she was staying at. She was removed from 3 times in 4 months and never stayed more than a few months in any of the other ones. After she turns 14, she disappears. There's not trace of her in they school system from 14 – 22. There's no mention of her graduating high school, although previous records through the 3rd grade show she is highly intelligent. Once when she went into foster care her school records get spotty. No mention of college. She has a sealed juvee record, but I haven't been granted access."

"Jones?"  
"With Neal's help we identified a possible alias, although it has not been confirmed. It does however fill some of the gap from when she went missing at 14. Right around that time a hacker by the name of Duchess came on the scene. She won Vault's annual computer hacker gauntlet for 6 years. This competition is very difficult; most major security firms, law enforcement agencies, governments, major corporations recruit from this competition. In her first competition, Duchess beat her nearest competitor, who was by the way the reigning champ, by nearly three hours. She continued to dominate the competition for six years, before calling it quits.."

"Computer gauntlet?" Peter asked.

"Its a series of computer net work security protocols which stimulate different levels of security. There are 10 rounds of increasing difficulty. By the 6th or 7th round, only the most talented hackers are still in the running. Everything is done anonymously so nobody gets targeted, and the invites go to hackers on an international scale."

"But what's the point?"

"Every hacker has their own style, their own way to break a code. Vault uses the information to improve their network security products. Several other companies have similar contests. But Vault has the biggest prize. $100,000 to the winner."

"So Duchess wins this competition for six years and then what."

"Besides winning the Vault competition, she been linked to various security breaches including the DOJ, DOD, CIA, and the FBI. There's no hard evidence linking her to the security breaches, but the alias is the top of a very short list. She completely drops out of the computer hacker scene about..."

"Six years ago." Peter said finishing Jones's sentence. "Alright, Jones, check with our Cyber Crimes unit and see if there are any confirmed incidents where they know it was Duchess who was the hacker. I need a little leverage. Diana pick up her trail after she reappears, start tracking her movements when she reappears as Alanna Salvatore. I suggest starting in Asia."

"Okay." Diana and Jones replied in sync.

After they left, Neal looked at Peter. "You didn't tell them what you found."

Peter fingered the notepad in front of him. The information he found was highly sensitive. "She has a love/hate relationship with the government. According to her file, she did a job for the CIA. Actual details were not available, most of the documents I received were blacked out, but she's helped prevent the agency from being caught with their pants down. However, there was one case she participated in and from what I can read it was FUBAR'ed. Landed her in the hospital for twelve weeks. But she managed to complete the mission."

Neal wondered what was hidden in those files, behind the blacked out paragraph.


	6. Chapter 6

Hath No Fury: Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, except Alanna.

* * *

At exactly 2pm the next day, 3 sleep deprived agents and one FBI consultant stumbled into the conference room. Diana started with her debrief.

"Alanna landed in Hong Kong sometime in the spring of 2003, she doesn't show up on any flight manifests, private or public so I can't pinpoint an exact date. Checking into a hospital June 2, 2003 with several broken ribs and a concussion. She disappeared for about 3 months and resurfaced September 31st 2003 in a hospital in Taipei with a broken write and fractured arm. She has various hospital visits through Asia, parts of Russia and Eastern Europe over the course of six years. I also looked at high profile thefts and note several occurred while Alanna was reportedly in the area. Now she was never named as a suspect and it could all be coincidences but given what we know about Alanna I wouldn't be surprised if she was involved." The team looked at Neal who shrugged.

"I lost contact 6 years ago. Whether she perpetrated these crimes, I have no idea, but she has the skills."

"Moving on, She's..."

"Agent Burke?" Assistant Director Hughes appeared in the doorway of the conference room.

"Sir?" Peter asked.

"How's the background check going on Ms. Salvatore?"

"We're debriefing now sir."

"Oh, good." Hughes said taking a seat next Jones.

Neal, Diana, and Jones looked at each other and then looked at the director.

"Diana."

"She lived overseas for the last six years. Never staying more than a few weeks in one place. She's only returned to the U.S. twice in last six years. The first time in May of 2008 for a week and the second time last December for 3 days. She stays under the radar, but several agency have her passport flagged."

"Why?" Peter asked.

"No one will say." Diana said.

"I can explain." Director Hughes said standing up. "What I'm about to disclose stays between us. There are not a lot of people who know about this and I'd like to keep it that way. Alanna's parents were both CIA operatives. Her mom retired shortly after her birth; her father continued on until his death. Emily Salvatore specialized in high risk retrievals, a gymnast in her youth, she had a record for breaking and entering until being brought in to be a part of the Agency. Victor was a computer expert with years of field experience, graduated top of his class at MIT. Alanna has extensive training. Gymnastics, martial arts, tutors in various languages, diplomacy lessons. Her parents made a few high profile enemies and they wanted her to be able to protect herself. After her father died, as a favor, several of their former colleagues had been keeping an eye on her since her parent's death. Except they lost track of her when she was around 14."

"Her parents died when she was 10, so how much training could she possibly have? And how does someone loose track of a child?" Peter asked.

"You'd be surprised how much a child can learn before they hit puberty. And as for how they lost her? Her appointed guardian died a week before her father did, but nobody knew he had died until nearly six months after father had died. She had already been in the system for 6 months and when no one came forward to take care of her. So they left her in the system. When a friend of her father learned she was still in foster care he went to adopt her, only to discover the foster parents she was suppose to be with hadn't seen her in two years."

"And the foster parent's didn't report it?"

"Lost of foster parent's don't care." Neal said. "As long as that monthly check from the government comes that's good enough for them. More money but one less mouth to feed, clothe, keep track of. Besides for some foster kids, living on the street is better than living at the foster home."

"Are you speaking from personal experience?" Peter asked.

Neal just shrugged and asked, "Does she know?"

"No. As far as she knows she was just a privileged kid living in the upper east side. Agent Barrigan, please continue."

"Yes Sir. Over the last four years, Alanna has been photographed with several high profile individuals. Her name isn't mentioned in the paper, although descriptions of her are abundant. I've reached out to a few friends and according to them, she's broken more than her fair share of hearts. She has dated the son of a fortune 500 company, a sheik, a european prince, and a international soccer star. She did date an old friend of mine, the son of a English duke. When I called him, he was real interested to know why I was calling, it was very clear he was protective of her."

Neal contemplated this new information. Logically he knew Alana was a beautiful woman who attracted a variety of men. Intelligent, witty, a wonderful conversationalist, charming, with just enough of a rebellious streak to make life exciting. He couldn't help but feel betrayed she was with other men. He had, had Kate, so why was he jealous?  
"Neal? Neal." Peter called.

"Yes. I'm listening."

"Diana anything else to add?"

"She is currently not romantically linked to anyone." Diana replied and sat down and Jones stood up to deliver his report.

"I checked with some folks in the Cyber Crime division. They can't positively connect Alanna to the Duchess alias, although speculation does exist. The hacker alias is implicated in dozens of security breaches."

"What were the security breaches?" Peter asked.

"CIA, Department of Justice, Department of Defense, NSA, and the FBI multiple times from 1993 - 2003. She exploits little know weakness in the network security codes and never uses the same technique twice. She's also been linked to a few internal security breaches. But once again no solid proof it was her."

"Alright Neal, your turn. Tell us about those missing years."

"Wait, Caffery you know Ms. Salvatore."

"Yes." Neal said simply.

Hughes turned to Peter for more information.

"Ms. Salvatore is a friend of Neal's who had information regarding Vincent Adler. Neal?"

"Peter you know we met in high school. We were two smart kids with too much time on our hands."

"You guys were trouble makers."

"Well we never got suspended or expelled if that's what your asking."

"Of course not." Peter said shaking his head.

"Alanna's life hit a rough patch at the same time mine did. She was planning on running and I couldn't in good conscious leave a 14 year old alone. So we left."

"Pulling cons and stealing things."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Neal said smirking. But the truth was, he and Alanna had spent their travels conning people and stealing things. How else were two teenagers suppose to live? "Alanna and I went our separate ways in 2003. But until then, we were two teenagers traveling the world, well the continental United States. We did normal teenage things. We went to concerts, watched movies, went to Disneyland."

Hughes sighed. "Peter if you can get her to sign on, do it. She can be a valuable asset to the Bureau. I can already see the look on Whitman's face when he founds out Ms Salvatore is joining the FBI."

"Sir?"

"Since she has resurfaced, the Agency has been trying to get her sign on. She refuses them every time. Whitman has tried just about everything, short of telling her who her parents are. It's only fair we get her, they've swooped in to steal a few of our recruits. I'll have the paperwork on my desk by the end of the day."

"Yes sir."


	7. Chapter 7

Hath No Fury: Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, except Alanna.

* * *

Three weeks later...

Neal practically vibrated energy. His knee bounced up and down and he couldn't focus on the cold cases in front of him. Every few minutes he would look at the door, sigh, and then resume flipping through his files. Jones and Dina sat at their desks watching Neal. They were both amused at Neal's actions. Peter watched his team from his office, everyone was anticipating Alanna's arrival for different reason. Diana wondered what was so special about this new consultant that Hughes practically order Peter to get her to sign. Jones wanted to know how this new consultant would change the team dynamic; it was obvious Neal had a history with her. Peter, he really wanted to catch Adler.

"Peter." Hughes called.

"Yes sir."

"I have a new case for you. The Met was robbed last night." Hughes said handing a folder over to Peter.

Exiting his office Peter got the attention of his team. Utilizing the two finger point he gather in team in the conference room.

"Peter." Neal started.

"She isn't due to arrive in 9:30am. We have a new case."

* * *

Alanna rode up the elevator with her visitor badge in her hand. There was no way she was going to mess up her outfit. She usually wasn't this vain, so she was more the type to roll with the punches (sometimes literally) but she did enjoy the finer things in life. Alanna figured she'd need to use every tool in her arsenal to maintain her wits and what little edge she had over Caffery. For this particular task, that included the perfect outfit, cobalt Donna Ricco dress, that brought out her violet eyes and hit her in all the right places, black stilettos heals that raised her slight 5'3" to a preferred 5'6", a Burberry tench coat, Chanel tote, and pearl necklace. Each piece she used as amour against Neal's wiles and flirting. Her goal was to maintain control of the situation at all times and to _**not**_ let Neal get the upper hand. When the elevator doors opened she stepped out and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to enter the lion's den.

She approached the door, but before she could open them, an arm shot out and beat her to it.

"Let me get that." A sandy haired man said.

"Thank you."

"Can I help you?" He asked as he escorted Alanna into the white collar bullpen. A hand strategically placed at the small of her back.

"Yes, I'm looking for Agent Peter Burke. Mister..." Alanna asked moving away from the Agent.

"Special Agent Henry Waterford. I'd be more than happy to let Agent Burke know you've arrived..." He gave Alanna what he thought was a charming smile.

Alanna smiled and thought to herself that his smile just wasn't as infectious as Neal's, he didn't have that same sparkle. Damn she had to stop thinking about Neal that way, he was just going to her colleague. "Alanna Salvatore. He should be expecting me."

"I'll just let me him know you're here. Would you like to sit down?"

"No, thank you. I'll just wait here."

"Okay." Agent Waterford said, a little reluctant to leave the beautiful woman alone in the bullpen. At least Caffery wasn't around.

* * *

A loud knock pulled Peter and his team from the case they were working on. Peter opened the door to find Agent Waterford standing on the other side looking at the bullpen.

"Agent Waterford, what can I do for you?"

"Sir, there's a woman waiting for you in the bullpen. Alanna Salvatore"

At Alanna's name, Neal stood up ad spun to look out the conference room window. All he could see was a head of red hair surrounded by four, five, make that six, young, male FBI agents. He moved to the door.

"Neal sit down." Peter said sternly.

"But Peter..."

"Sit."

Neal pouted, crossed his arms, and sat down.

"Good boy." Peter said smirking.

Agent Waterford looked smugly at Neal. Diana and Clinton both looked at Neal laughter just barely contained.

"I'm not a dog Peter. I just thought Alana could use a friendly face."

"Just stay here. I promised her you wouldn't bother her and I don't want to explain to Hughes why she quit before she even signed the paperwork."

"I won't..."

"No Neal. She can still change her mind. You are going to stay here and work with Diana and Jones on the case. I'll bring her by after she's signed the paperwork." Peter left Neal, Diana, and Clinton in the conference room and followed Agent Waterford into the bullpen.

"Ms. Salvatore." Peter said cutting through the small group of agents surrounding the young woman." When Peter arrived, the other agents scattered, leaving Peter, Agent Waterford, and Alanna standing in the middle of the bullpen. However all eyes were still on the trio, each wondering why the woman was there and if she'd give him her number.

"Please, Agent Burke, call me Alanna."

"Only if you call me Peter." He said smiling. "If you'll follow me?"

"Of course, lead the way." Alanna said. "Thank you Agent Waterford."

"Your welcome Ms. Salvatore." He said, opening his mouth to invite her to lunch, he realized she was no longer paying attention to him. Damn.

"We're happy you've decided to be a part of our team. Our tech guys are definitely overworked, and it'll be nice to have someone who can answer all our questions without having to fight with other departments to get our stuff processed." Peter said.

"That happens a lot?"

"Every one underestimates the White Collar division and the criminals we pursue." Peter said.

"I guess they don't realize that White Collar criminals are smarter than your average kidnapper, rapist, or murderer." Alanna said understandingly.

Peter smile. "Exactly."

"So am I just fulling out paperwork today? Or do I actually get to do some work?"

"Both. Just a few forms to fill out and I've got a case that could use you're expertise."

* * *

Neal watched from the conference room window, as Peter approached his... ex? Somehow that title did not sit well him. True it had been years since he spoke to Alanna let alone seen her face to face. But he always though of her a friend. Maybe the one other person other than Peter who he truly trusted. Alanna didn't want anything from him, she was content to watch movies, go to museums with him, she wouldn't care about the music box or Larsen. According to Mozzie, she was only here to help him catch Adler, and she certainly didn't have to work with the FBI to do that. He didn't have too many friends now that he was working with the feds, and to be honest even before prison, he didn't have many he trusted. He would repair his broken friendship with Alanna, no matter what it took.

"She's hot." Clinton said from his spot next to Neal.

Clinton's comment drew Neal out of his self contemplation.

Lost in through, Neal hadn't realized Peter's presence had scattered the younger agents. Neal nearly had a heart attack. Alanna had definitely dressed to impress, in a form fitting cobalt blue dress he knew would bring out her violet eyes, and sky high black stiletto heel, making her slim legs look as if they went on forever. She knew what wearing blue did to him, not to mention the FMPs (fuck me pumps). Damn she was brining her A game. Things at the White Collar division just got more interesting.

Clinton looked at Neal who hadn't said a word but was looking mischievous.

"She is hot." Diana said on the other side of Neal. "How is it you know her again?"

"Old friend."

"From your pre-prison days?" Diana concluded.

"Yes." Neal murmured. He was preoccupied with his reaction to seeing her. He knew she was a beautiful woman, she'd had guys old and young hitting on her since she hit puberty. But seeing her surrounded by FBI agents made him want to through her over his shoulder and lock her away in his loft. He didn't understand the reaction, he still loved Kate, didn't he?


	8. Chapter 8

Hath No Fury: Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em

AN: Borrowed a few characters from Leverage, Bones, and Ocean's 12. Mainly the character of Parker from Leverage, the concept of the Angelator (3d holographic device) from Bones, and the characters Le Mark and the Night Fox from Ocean's 12 as well as the Night Fox's routine through the laser grid.

* * *

Alanna signed her name on the last document after having made sure all her requests had been included and there were not hidden clauses in the contracts. She slid the papers over to Peter who placed them in a folder to be returned to Hughes.

"Ready to meet the team?"

"Sure." Alanna said standing up.

Peter led Alanna to the conference room where Diana and Clinton were pouring through reports and interviews, performing background checks and other investigative tasks. Neal was stilling there with an opened folder, but Peter could tell he wasn't focused.

"Diana and Clinton, I'd like to introduce our newest consultant Alanna Salvatore. Alanna this is Agent Diana Barrigan and Agent Clinton Jones."

Alanna shook hands with both Agents.

"What no introductions for me?"

"You don't need any introducing Caffery." Alanna said rolling her eyes.

"She already knows who you are Neal." Peter said heading off any sarcastic retort from Neal. "We're working on a theft of several paintings and artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art." Peter explained.

Alanna frowned. "Peter, Neal's your art guy. I can tell the difference between a Monet and Manet but that's about it. Now if you wanted me to track illegal fund transfers over 15 countries, I'm your girl. I have contacts in the art world, but most of my contacts deal in information of the sensitive and classified nature. I'm not sure I can be of much help."

"You good with security systems?" Peter asked.

"Well, sure what self respecting hacker isn't good with security systems."

"You can be of help then. The Met has a state of the art security system. Cameras both infrared and nigh vision, pressure sensitive displays, and a random laser grid system."

Alanna sat down next to Clinton and pulling out her computer. "Do you have the security data? What about blue prints for the Met?"

"Yes, right here." Clinton said giving a flash drive to Alanna.

"Thank you Agent Jones."

"Please call me Clinton."

Alanna smiled at Clinton. Neal felt jealous, Alanna hadn't smiled once at him since he first saw her at the Burke's over a month ago.

"What was stolen?"

"Mary Cassatt's Portrait of the Artist, a 15th century pipa, a Lotiform Chalice, van Gogh's Corridor in the Asylum and Matisse's Olive Trees at Collioure." Neal said.

"And we all know how much you love Matisse." Alanna said distracted. "All on the same night?"

"Yup."

"Impressive those items aren't anywhere near each other."

"I know." Neal said impressed. "I'm thinking a crew of at least five. Four to pull the heist and a hacker."

"I think six. They probably had a get away driver. But why steal those items? I mean sure they're worth a some money, but I would have gone after van Gogh's Road with Cypress and Star or Seruat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte or even Matisse's The Dance. Each of those would have been worth triple the payday of the items stolen"

"I know right? Why the pipa or the chalice? It just doesn't make sense."

"Please tell me the two of you aren't planning on robbing the Met."

"Of course not." Alanna said eyes wide and seemingly innocent. Neal sat next to her nodding his head, his own eyes wide and pouting.

"I'm hurt you would think Alanna and I would plan something like that Peter." Neal said.

"You forget I know both you of your pasts. Neither of you may have been caught for stealing priceless works of arts, but you are both more than capable of pulling something like this off."

"Is he always like this?" Alanna whispered to Neal.

"Six out of the ten times when we deal with an art theft. He's gotten better, it use to be every time anything was stolen, he thought it was me. I think he checked my tracking data this morning to make sure I didn't steal them."

"You have better taste." Alanna said patting him on his arm. "You would never rob Met at night. You'd do it in the middle of the day, in broad daylight, with dozen of tourists around, and leave a forgery behind. You have more pizazz.

Neal beamed. "Thanks Lanna."

"Any way, moving along. We're doing background checks on all the employees looking for reasons someone may have done." Peter said.

"You think it was an inside job?"

"Possible. We're checking out other leads but like you said not all the piece are worth a big payday, so maybe the thieves just grabbed what they could."

"From the Met? At night? They have a Katashi 3000 laser grid system. It uses a proprietary algorithm to simulate a 'random' pattern. And they change the codes to access the system daily. Not to mention a redundant relay information system which means you can't just hack the signal going to the museum's security system, you have to hack signal going to Katashi and the local PD. Its the royce roll of laser grid systems. I don't think an employee, with the exception of maybe the curator and a few others would have the necessary knowledge of the security system to pull this off.

Peter, Diana and Clinton were impressed. She was a friend of Neal's, so they weren't surprised.

"Could you hack the Met's security system?" Peter asked.

"Are you asking because you think I did this, or because of my experience as a hacker."

"The later." Peter replied.

"Based on their encryption software? If had the right intel I could theoretically hack it. The cameras and the pressure pads are easy. Its the laser system someone would need to have significant experience. The Katashi system has a 12 digit access code using upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. There is an infinite number of possible combinations for the code. It's easier to figure out who has the codes and con them into giving you access to the codes daily."

"Have you ever hacked the Katashi system?" Neal asked. "Those weren't around when we were together."

Alanna looked at Neal.

"Have you?" Peter asked.

Alanna pouted. "I'm not going to answer that. Its like asking Neal if he stole Raphael's Saint George and the Dragon."

Peter looked at Neal and Alanna. "Have you?"

"If I had hacked a Katashi system I would tell you it isn't easy and is a significant time commitment. It has a superb encryption program protecting the laser algorithm and access points."

"Okay. Alanna work on how they hacked the system. Diana check the streets, I want to know who's fencing these items. Jones, I want full background checks on all employees. Neal, you and I will see the museum curator."

"I should..."

"No, Neal you are not going to stay here and 'help' Alanna."

"Help Alanna? I was thinking about helping Jones with those background checks."

"You hate doing background checks." Peter said.

"I like them..." Neal started

"It okay, Clinton can use Hermes.." Alanna said without looking up.

"You have a copy of Hermes? A couple of the divisions have been piloting the program, it suppose to be the best thing to hit law enforcement since DNA testing." Jones said. "It can run multiple background checks through multiple data bases at the same time."

"Of course I have a copy of Hermes. Its my program."

"Your program." Jones said in awe.

"Yea, I wrote it while I was in Tibet. Here, let's hook your computer up to mine. I'll transfer the beta version to you. I've made some tweaks to it since the government approached me about using it."

Peter smiled. "Come on Neal, let's go."

Neal reluctantly left Clinton and Alanna to talk nerd. He hadn't seen Clinton this excited since they finally clued him into the music box fiasco.

* * *

Neal sat quietly in the Taurus starring out the window, watching the passing scenery. Peter observed his partner, unfamiliar with silence. Neal loved the sound of his voice, and could keep one sided conversation for hours.

"Penny for your though?" Peter said conversationally.

"My thoughts are worth more than a penny. They're worth at least $20 a piece." Neal grinned. "Just thinking."

"About."

In a rare moment of seriousness, "Alanna actually."

Peter waited for Neal to continue.

"You know we dated, seriously for a while. I thought..."

"You thought?" Peter prompted.

"Things are different than I expected. She's different than I last saw her."

"Its been six years, Neal. People change. And how serious is serious?"

Neal looked at Peter. "We probably would have gotten married if I hadn't moved to New York."

The 'and met Kate' part was unspoken.

"She's different. There's an edginess to her that wasn't there before. I use to be able to read her like a book, but now? Now I have more questions than answers, about what she's been doing the last six years, about Kate and Adler. I just need more answers."

"We'll figure it out together." Peter assured Neal.

"I know."

* * *

Alanna and Clinton had been working quietly over the last few hours when Alanna decided she couldn't take it any more.

"Clinton?"

"Yes Alanna."

"We need to eat something before my stomach eats itself."

"There's a salad place across the street."

"Clinton, you will learn very quickly I am not like other women, and while I will eat a salad every once I a while, I love red meat. The bloodier the better. But in the absence of a good steak, I could go for a bacon cheeseburger and french fries. Oooo, and a milkshake."

Clinton grinned. "I know just the place."

"Great because if I don't eat soon, my evil twin will come out and you don't want to meet Bitchy Alanna. It is way to early in our relationship for you to be meeting my alter ego." Alanna said laughing and looping her arm through Clinton's as they exited the White Collar division.

Alanna didn't notice the evil glares several of the other agents gave Clinton as they walked through the bullpen. He could only the rumors that would get back to Peter and by extension Neal. While he knew Peter would be amused, he wasn't sure about Neal's reaction. While Clinton was sure he was still in love with Kate he couldn't help but remember Neal's reaction this morning when Alanna showed up. He did not want to be on the receiving side of Neal's anger or pranks. Neal knew how to exact non-violent revenge. Usually in the form of something extremely embarrassing.

* * *

Neal and Peter spoke to the museum curator who walked them through the robbery. He seemed honestly baffled by the robbery. He kept sputtering about state of the art security and laser grids. His assistant was standing next to him, a mousy brunette. Neal smiled at her and she blushed. While Peter dealt with the curator, Neal walked around the museum. He had been in the museum before and even acquired a few pieces back in the day, but he had never taken more than one object at a time. He looked at all the pressure pads and normal security wires that normally protected paintings. The wires where the painting were held were cut and but the pressure pads has not been physically tampered with.

"Neal?"

"Yes?"

"You figure out where they came in from?"

"Skylight in impressionist wing or the basement door near the Egyptian room. They exited through the fire door off the hall from the Instruments around the World exhibit."

Neal's phone started vibrating. Looking at the screen, he saw an unknown number. Frowning he picked it up. "Caffery... Yes I can ask. Through the skylight in the impressionist wing maybe the basement door near the Egyptian room. The fire escape. Okay. Bye."

Peter looked at Neal. "Who was that?"

"That was Lanna. Mr. Williams, did you recently have your laser system upgraded?"

"Yes, how did you know? A Katashi support team came about six weeks ago to perform some system upgrades."

Neal fired off a text to Alanna with the new information. He received a response a few seconds later. "I need a copy of the security parameters from six weeks ago, before the laser upgrade."

"Neal?"

"Its for Lanna. She has some theory she wants to work through."

"Of course. Mr. Caffery." The curator replied turning to the mousing woman standing next to him. "Ms. Tudor, please retrieve the security data from seven weeks ago for the FBI." The curator's assistant scurried off to retrieve the information as Peter and Neal concluded their interview.

* * *

Back at the White Collar headquarters, Clinton and Alanna were working in a comfortable silence, although every once in a while Alanna would say something to herself. Clinton noticed Alanna didn't need to fill the silence with chatter they way Neal did. To be honest he kind of missed Neal's non sequitur comments. He did however enjoy working with Hermes. He did wonder however why Alanna would provide the government with a tool that could increase the chances for the FBI to find criminals. Before he could ask, Diana returned from her search.

"Nobody's fencing anything. I talked to at least a dozen none fences, and not a peep. I think we're going to have to go with Neal's little friend. How's your background searches going?"

"Great I'm done."

"Really? There's at least a hundred names on that list." Diana said.

"I know but Hermes lets you run parallel searches for dozens of databases at the same time. And then lets you run reports using a variety of parameters including who's in debt, who has a criminal record, who's complained about the museum. The works."

Neal and Peter arrived to hear the tail end of Jones waxing poetic about the new computer program.

"Any leads?" Peter asked.

"None of the usual fences know anything."

"All the museum employees are clean. No huge debts or criminal records. A few parking tickets but that's about it."

The team turned to Alana as she sat clicking on her computer. She seem completely absorbed in what she was doing and hadn't noticed Peter or Neal's return.

"Alanna?" Peter called.

Alanna made a noise but still ignored everyone in the room. She nodded to herself and wrote something in an opened notebook next to her.

"Earth to Lanna. Come back to earth Lanna." Neal said standing next to her and tapping her on the shoulder.

Alanna jumped. "Damn it Neal, don't sneak up on me like that. I swear I need to put a bell on you. Freaking ninja skills." Alanna muttered the last part.

Neal laughed. "We've been calling your name for the last five minutes. You were on in La La land. And I don't have ninja skills."

"Deny it all you want, but I'm sure you have ninja skills. Mozzie taught them to you. You two are the only ones who can sneak up on me."

"Any thing to tell Peter?"

"Oh, yes. Give me a second. Do you have the data from before the laser update?"

"Right here." Peter said handing her a flash drive.

Alanna plugged the flash drive into her computer and clicked on a few things on her computer. She also took a black device roughly the size of her laptop from her bag and began to unfold it on the conference room table. "Clinton would you be a dear and hit the lights?"

Clinton hit the lights and the motor in the black device began to whirl and hum. Everyone took a seat and watched interestedly.

Peter leaned over to ask Neal, "Do you know what this is all about?"

"I've never seen Alanna with that device. I have no idea what it is."

"Using the information you all have been given, I've taken the liberty of mapping out the robbery with the security features in place." Alanna explained, plugging her computer into the black contraption. A holographic three dimensional replica of the Met appeared. "Neal which do you think is more likely the skylight or the basement door."

"Basement door."

"Okay." Tapping a few keys on her key board Alanna started her simulation. "First off I'd like to revise my initial estimate of the number of people involved with the robbery. I'm going with two maybe three at the most."

"Okay." Peter said, although he didn't see the relevance.

"So this is how I envisioned the robbery taking place. The thief entered through the basement door. Grabbed the chalice first then the Cassatt, the van Gogh, the Matisse and lastly the pipa. They exited through the emergency door and out into the night."

"One thief." Neal said. Examining Alanna's simulation critically.

"Yea. The camera were looped. And the pressure pad relay information only goes to the museum's security desk. They were relying on the lasers to catch the thief. They don't have any guards besides the one who mans the security desk."

"So they hacked the cameras, pressure pads and lasers." Peter said.

"No, they only hacked the cameras and pressure pad signal. There was not signs of malicious code or a break in the security feed for the lasers."

"So how did they get past the lasers?" Diana asked.

"He or she danced their way through the lasers."

"Danced their way though the lasers." Peter said incredulously. "You want me to tall the curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a thief dance through his state of the art, imported from Japan, ultra exclusive laser system."

"Yes."

"How would you dance through the lasers?" Neal asked. "Are we talking ballroom, break dancing, interpretive?"

* * *

Peter, his two agents, and his two consultants stood with the Museum curator and head of security in the Met's security office. Alanna was showing her simulation to the everyone.

When she was done, Mr. Williams scoffed. "Simply impossible" Mr. Williams replied. "The laser grid is impenetrable. There is simply no way for someone to dance through it. We just had a team out here to perform maintenance and upgrades."

"I know, I watched the tape from a couple of months ago. That's when they hit." Alanna said. "When you received your security upgrade, that's when they struck. I'm pretty sure the people you gave access to were not Katashi employees. They reprogrammed your lasers. If you look at the before and after tapes you can see that the laser patters are different." She replayed two of the security tapes side by side.

Neal nodded. "She's right. The lasers move at a different pace in the after video. There's more of rhythm to it."

Peter, Diana, and Jones didn't see the change, but trusted Neal enough to know if he saw it it was true.

"It took me a few hours but I even figured out the music they used." Alanna said helpfully.

"We checked their credentials. They were wearing Katashi uniforms." Mr McCoy, head of museum security said.

Neal looked at them and replied, "You'd be surprise how easy it is to fake credentials and get a hold of uniforms."

"He should know." Peter said.

"I don't believe you. It is simply ludicrous to believe thieves just waltz in reprogrammed the lasers and then danced their way through our security."

"Thief. Singular. We can give you a practical demonstration." Alanna offered before Peter could speak.

"I'd like to see you try." Mr Williams said pompously.

Alanna looked at Peter and the rest of the White Collar team. Peter stared back at her and noticed she had the same expression Neal had when he was about to pull a FBI sanctioned con. Part enthusiasm and anticipation and part mischievous and cunning. He was a little skeptical someone could pull this off, but it seemed plausible so he allowed Alanna to run with it. He nodded his approval.

"Great. Neal, can you help me pick out some pieces that are the same size, shape, and weight of the stolen objects? You have a better eye for that."

"I expect all object returned to the museum, you two." Peter said warningly.

"Of course. We'll give you an itemized list." Neal said charmingly as he offered his arm to Alanna.

She shrugged and looped her arm in his as they went off in search of treasures to pretend to steal.

An hour later Alanna and Neal returned to the security office.

"You ready?" Peter asked.

"Always. Give me five minutes to change and into position." Alanna said, handing an her iPhone to Neal. "Its already cued up, just hit play at 6pm." She left the room to get changed and make her way into the museum's basement.

"You think she can do it?" Jones asked Neal quietly.

"Its been a while since I've worked with her, but I'm going with yes."

"I don't think she can do it. No offense or anything. I think its plausible but everything we've read says she's a hacker. Not a cat burglar. That's not to say a cat burglar couldn't pull it off." Jones said.

"Want to bet?" Neal said, remember how Alanna had smiled at Jones. "Put your money where your mouth is." Neal said tossing two twenties into his hat.

Jones looked around. "Your on."

"On what?" Diana asked.

"Jones doesn't think Alanna can pull this off." Neal said.

"I have to go with Jones, Alanna's mom may have been a retrieval specialist, but that was before laser grids and high tech security systems. There's no evidence Alanna inherited her mom's skills or that she is physically capable of pulling this off." Diana said quietly as she tossed down 40.

Peter watched Diana throw down some money. "What are you three up to?"

"Just a friendly wager." Neal said.

"A wager?" Mr Williams said. He and Mr McCoy had stopped their conversation.

"On Alanna versus the Katashi 3000."

Mr. Williams and Mr. McCoy both bet against Alanna. Neither believed it could be done.

Peter looked at the group. "While I understand your skepticism Mr. Williams and Mr. McCoy, I have learned not to underestimate Neal. I think she can do it."

Neal couldn't help but feel warm at Peter's support. He smiled enigmatically. "Let the game begin." He hit play on the iPhone.


	9. Chapter 9

Hath No Fury: Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Except Lanna.

* * *

The first notes of Linkin Park's Fain came blaring through the museum sound system. For the first fifteen seconds, no one saw any movement. Then in the lower right screen...

"There." Diana said in amazement.

The camera recording activity near the basement entrance showed Alanna entering the museum in a black cat suit. Alanna took a running start and dove head first through the first set of lasers. Flipping jumping, and dancing her way through the lasers she entered the first gallery. She quickly picked up the "chalice" and slipped it into her bag. By the end of the song she had moved though the American artists gallery, cut the "Cassatt" out of its frame, rolled it up, stuck it into a protective tube and was heading to the impressionist gallery for the "Monet". Another fast beat song started and Alanna cartwheeled and backflipped through a series of lasers in the impressionist gallery to retrieve the Monet. She moved from the Impressionist gallery to pick up the 'Matisse' and stuck that into the tube with the Cassatt and Monet. She then did an impressive break dancing routine to the Instruments around the World exhibit to pick up the pipa and made to her way to the fire escape. She had been in and out of the museum in 10 minutes.

Mr. Williams and Mr McCoy looked in horror. Someone had just danced through their state of the art laser system.

Diana and Clinton looked in awe. No wonder know one could connect her to any crimes. She was scary good.

Peter shook his head, he had made the right bet, but he was still stunned into silence. How many unsolved thefts could be attributed to her.

Neal looked on smugly in quiet triumph. He knew she could do it. She had improved since the last time they pulled a job together.

Alanna walked into the security office still dressed in her black cat suite with a black beanie covering her red hair. Neal smiled as he split the money into three even stacks and handed Alanna her share.

"You bet on me?" Alanna said counting the cash.

Neal smirked. "It wasn't so much a bet, as it was a wise investment. Besides you know I only bet on a sure thing."

Peter took his winnings somewhat numbly.

"Peter you okay?" Alanna asked. Looking at Neal, she said, "I think I broke him."

"Naw, he's just in shock. He'll come out of it."

Peter shook himself out of his stupor. "Let's see it." Peter said.

Alanna swung her bag off her shoulder and started pulling items out of it. The representatives of the chalice and pipa and the three black canvases used to simulate the paintings. "This is going to seriously narrow down the suspect pool. I can think of three maybe four thieves who could have pulled this off. And may be twice as many hackers who could reprogram the lasers and hack the other security features."

"How do we know you aren't the thief. You certainly have the skill to pull of the heist." Mr. Williams.

"Because I wasn't in the country at the time of the security upgrade, and I was on a date the night of the robbery."

"A date." Neal said flatly.

"Yes, Neal a date. You know a man asks a woman out. She says yes. He takes her to dinner, maybe a movie. He might even get lucky if she feeling generous."

Neal took a deep breath. Alanna knew how to get under his skin. He may not be an alpha male, pound on his chest, territory marking male, but he was male and he didn't like it when somebody touched what was his. "And who was this date with?" Neal said eyes narrowed.

"None of your business Caffery."

"Well if you want him to be a credible alibi, we're going to need a name."

Alanna smiled sweetly, "I'd be more than happy to give the name of my date, the time of said date, and the locations of where said date took place to Agent Burk, Barrigan, or Jones, but I don't have to tell you." With that she turned and exited the room, head held high and nose in the air. She was clearly irritated with Neal.

Peter looked at Neal and sighed. It seemed things with Neal just got a lot more complicated. He kind of wish he just had to deal with Neal pining for Kate. It looked like he was going to have to deal with a love triangle between Kate, Neal and Alanna.

"Mr. Williams, we'll let you know if there are any additional questions or breakthroughs. In the mean time I suggest you call the security company and have them reset your system."

* * *

Alanna exited the museum fuming. Who the hell did he think he was? They weren't dating any more. He didn't get be jealous. They were over. Alanna continued pacing outside the museum when her cellphone rang. She looked at the caller id but she didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"That was a very impressive display of athleticism. Just like your mother. You know you look just like her."

"Who is this?" Alanna asked making sure the recording feature on her phone was working.

"An interested party. Why Alanna? Why would you betray me like this? Working for the feds? I could give you anything your heart desires."

"Who is this? I'm not betraying anyone. I owe no loyalties to a voice on a phone."

"Quit the Bureau. Stop working with the FBI or face the consequences."

"I don't know who this is, but I take orders from no one, least of all some unknown person who doesn't even have the balls to identify themselves."

"Such fire. Such defiance. You'll make a lovely addition to my team."

"Listen you freak, I'm not joining you or your team and there's nothing you can say or do that will make me."

"Oh? What if I put your precious Neal back in supermax? Or better yet, I'll just put a bullet between his eyes."

"Don't you dare. You leave Neal out of this. You sick bastard."

"You'll do as a I say Alanna Marie Salvatore, I don't give second chances."

"If you know who I am, then you know my reputation. Especially my most recently acquired moniker."

"Oh, yes the Bloody Duchess. I've heard all about that. What will the FBI say if they knew about that?"

"My overseas activities are out of their jurisdiction. And I assure you my nickname as the Bloody Duchess isn't because I like my steaks rare. If you come after me and mine, you better be prepared to face the consequences." Alanna threatened.

"I always win, Alanna."

"Not this time." Alanna said angrily. She hung up and immediately dialed Mozzie.

"Moz meet me in 20 minute, the usual spot." Alanna said without givin him a chance to respond.

She hailed a cab and made her way to meet Moz. Fifteen minutes later, Alanna was standing in Central Park underneath Terrace Drive near the Bethesda Fountain. A few minutes later Moz arrived.

"Lanna? Is everything okay?" Moz looked at Alanna. She was clearly agitated and very nervous.

"Someone just threatened Neal, Moz. I need to know who else knows I'm back in town and who has the number to this phone. I can count the number of people who have this number Moz. I'm unlisted and take the usual precaution."

"Whoa, slow down. You haven't exactly been low profile Alanna. But there are only a few people, Coop, Vinny, Marcel, I think that's it. What happen?"

"They knew I was working with the FBI. Somebody is watcing me Moz. They saw my performance at the Met just now. The bastard told me I looked just like my mother and I that have to quit working for the FBI or he'd put a bullet in Neal's head."

"Alanna, calm down. Neal is surrounded by suits all day. As much as I don't trust them, the Suit is a good guy."

"He can't be with Neal 24 hours a day, Moz. I can't let something happen to Neal." Alanna said starting to hyperventilate.

"Alanna calm down. We'll protect Neal."

"But."

"Deep breath Alanna. Are you going to tell Neal?"

"I don't know. We had a fight."

"About."

"I went on a date last night. Neal didn't take it too well. Started asking me all these questions. I got defensive. Moz, do you think I should tell Neal?"

Moz though for a moment. Since getting out of prison and joining the Suit, Neal had a lot of secrets to keep. Kate, the music box, Adler, he didn't need another secret. Besides, if more people knew, the closer an eye they could keep for potential threats.

"Did the caller say no to involve the FBI?"

"No, but I figured the quit FBI command mean they didn't like me working with them."

"Okay, first off tell Neal and the Suit. If his life's in danger the Suit will help and he doesn't need any more complications. Second of all ditch the phone. Use this one." Mozzie said taking a burner phone out of his pocket.

"Thanks Mozzie." Alanna said.

"You still really care about him." Mozzie observed.

"I never stopped."

"Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know. I've made my share of enemies. So has Neal."

"But this is specifically tied to you working with the FBI. They didn't say stop working with Neal."

"True. But I only started working with the Bureau to..."

"Catch Adler" Mozzie said. "He has people inside the Bureau, he would know when someone started working for the Bureau to help catch him."

"But why would he say I was betraying him. I never met the guy. I only know him by association with you and Neal."

"I don't know, I'll look into and get back to you. You should go back the Bureau and talk to Neal and the Suit."

"Thanks Moz."

"You welcome, Lanna. Just keep him safe."

"I promise."


	10. Chapter 10

Hath No Fury: Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.

AN: So I've gotten a few comments of Mary Sue tendencies. Any suggestions/constructive criticism to avoid this would be helpful.

* * *

"Our suspect list is down to three thieves and 5 hackers. On the cat burglar side, Parker, no last name, Night Fox, we only know his/her alias, and Benjamin Heartfield, suspected in a dozen robberies, but he's never been convicted." Jones reported.

Before any one could comment, Alanna walked in.

"Peter I need to talk to you."

"Alanna. We're in the middle of trying to identify our thieves."

"Peter it's important."

Peter looked at Alanna, while she appeared calm, there was a sense of urgency in her voice.

"We'll talk in my office." Peter said. "Diana, Jones and Neal each of you pick a thief and get me a history. I want a list of crimes either suspected or confirmed."

Neal looked at Alanna. She was hiding something. He wondered if it was about Adler and Kate.

* * *

"Okay, Alanna. What going on? If this is about what happened with Neal earlier at the museum, I'm sorry.

"No it doesn't have anything to do with the museum. Well it does but... I'm not sure where to start."

"At the beginning is usually a good place."

Alanna snorted. "To be honest I'm not sure where the beginning is." Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she took a deep breath and started her tale. "After I left the museum, I waited outside for you to get a ride back to the FBI."

"You weren't there when we were leaving."

"I know. I received a very strange phone call." She looked at Peter who looked at her curiously. "He knew about the demonstration at the museum. Told me I was very athletic and I looked just like my mother. He proceeded to tell me I was betraying him and that I should stop working for the Bureau. If I didn't stop working for the fed he was going to put a bullet in Neal's head."

Peter's eye's widened at the threat. "Do you have any idea who it was?"

"I've been working for the FBI for exactly 8 hours Peter. I signed the paperwork this morning. I've been in town for a month. While news does travel fast I haven't lived in New York in six years. I don't know very many people. I can literally count the number of people I know here in New York on two hands. The last time i was in New York I only stayed for a few months. And how did he know about the museum? I didn't even know I was going to break in until we were there."

"I don't suppose you have a recording."

Alanna took her phone out of her purse. Alanna shrugged, "I guess Mozzie's paranoids tendencies have started to rub off on me. When I receive a phone call from an unknown number or a blocked number a recording program starts."

"Good. I'll send it to the tech guys."

"I can analyze it." Alanna said. "That is why you brought me on."

"True. Okay analyze the tape let me know what you find."

"Should we tell Neal?"

Peter thought about it. He did promise the conman there would be no more secrets. "Yea. Stay here." Peter walked out and called for Neal.

Neal walked into the Peter's office smiling. "Yes, Peter."

"We have a situation." Peter said.

Alanna didn't say anything, instead, she played the recording. Neal looked at her concerned.

"He doesn't say anything about hurting me Neal, he threatened you."

"Alanna..."

"Neal."

"I'll be fine Alanna, this isn't the first time my life has been threatened."

"I'm sure it isn't Neal, but this is the first time you've been threatened because of me." Alanna said.

"You aren't thinking about quitting, are you?" Peter asked.

"No. I'm not giving some mysterious voice on the other side the satisfaction. But, it be helpful if you two watched each other's backs."

"We're partners Lanna, of course we watch each others backs." Neal said smiling.

Peter, Alanna, and Neal returned to the conference room to continue investigating the museum robbery. It was agreed, Alanna would examine the tape on her off hours in order to keep it on the down low and off the radar of the higher ups.

Neal sat down and looked at the stolen pieces. It didn't make sense, why steal the items. Unless, "I think we're dealing with the broker."

"A broker."

"Yes. It doesn't make sense, none of the items are related. It doesn't make sense to take a risk to steal the chalice or the pipa. The broker must be contracting the thief and the hacker on behalf of various clients. When he gets enough clients who want items from the same location hires a crew and get the items."

Alanna nodded. "Makes sense. This way you don't have to fence the items so that's one less person involved."

"So how do we catch them?" Peter asked.

Alanna and Neal looked at each other. "Mozzie." They said in unison.

"Why do I ask?" Peter said shaking his head.

* * *

Several days later they received a name.

"Lucius Volkner." Neal said as he entered the conference room. The team was gathered around the table. "Rumor has it, he's organizing another job."

"Can we set up a meet. We have a thief and a hacker we can offer."

"No can do. In order to maintain anonymity among the parties, Volkner doesn't meet any one face to face. He puts the word out, receives responses and does all communications through a burner phone."

"How do you know he's planning another job?" Jones asked.

"Because of this." Alanna said tossing yesterday's classified section of the newspaper on the table a red marker around an ad. Mozzie had given it to her since he gave the name to Neal.

" **WANTED – Antiques Acquisition Specialist**

Must have experience in Russian Artifacts, Chinese Pottery, Classical Literature, and French Art"

For more details text (XXX)XXX-XXXX

Salaries starting at $50,000."

"Antiques Acquisition Specialist?"

"It's code for thief. And it gives us an idea of what he's looking to steal."

"So let's text him. We'll set Neal up as the thief. We can set up a sting."

"Only problem is the add is already 24 hours old. There's a possibility he already has a team. And there's the whole thing about us stealing from the Guggenheim." Alanna said. "Well I don't have a problem stealing from the Guggenheim, but I thought the FBI frowned upon that type of behavior."

"We do. And I am no way suggesting you steal from the Guggenheim Ms. Salvatore"

"We can stake out the Guggenheim and catch the their in the process." Diana said.

"I don't think that's going to work." Neal said "The thief was good, there's no guarantee we'd catch him or her."

"We could try tagging a few of the most likely targets." Alanna suggested.

"Tagging a few pieces of priceless works of art." Peter said. "Why don't I like the sound of that."

"Clinton has been telling me all about the gadgets the FBI has, we could modify some of the trackers and use them. Between Neal and I, I'm sure we can identify likely targets. The thief steals them, brings the to the drop point, we pick up the thief, and wait for the broker. Hopefully we can get the broker to flip on the hacker. Because its likely he won't be on site."

Peter thought the proposal over. "We'll have to be careful. I don't want to tip the thief off before we can put our plan into motion. In the mean time, let's text him and see if we get a bite."

In the end, they tagged several possible items that matched the information contained in the ad. The staked out the museum for several nights. On the third night they hit pay dirt and two of the items they tagged were stolen. They got the thief and Volkner in one sting.

Volkner sat in the interviewing room. He had waived his right to an attorney was was sitting there smugly.

"Who are your buyers Volkner." Peter demanded.

Volkner didn't say anything. He just continued to sit there with a feeling of self importance.

"You're going away for a long time for these thefts. Tell me who you sold the items to and maybe we can cut a deal."

"I only have one thing to stay to you. Can I meet the person who demonstrated how the Met's laser grid was penetrated?"

"No."

"I guess we have nothing to talk about then."

Neal entered the room. "I gave the demonstration."

Volkner smirked. "I don't think so. I happen to know the person was female and petite. You definitely don't fit the profile."

Neal and Peter looked at each other. Neal tried to convey his reluctance to allow Alanna in the room with his eyes, but Peter nodded his head slightly.

Alanna entered the room, cool and calm. She looked at Volkner who looked at her like she was a piece of meat.

"I'd like to speak to the lady alone." Volkner said.

"That isn't -" Neal started.

"It's okay." Alanna said. Reluctantly Neal and Peter left the room.

"I didn't expect you to be so beautiful." Volkner said.

"Who did you sell the stolen pieces too?"

"Now, don't be so hasty. How about we chat for a bit."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"I think we do. I see you are still working for the FBI. I was told you were instructed to stop."

Peter and Neal looked at each other as they listened to the exchange from behind the two way mirror.

"I don't take orders very well." Alanna said flatly.

"You're disobedience is going to get someone killed. Perhaps the charming Mr. Caffery?"

"I don't do well with threats. And I will stop any attempts to hurt my friends."

"You think you can stop him."

"Who is he?"

"You think I'm going to tell you? I'm better off I prison. But I do have a message for you from him."

Alanna glared at Volkner.

"He says to tell you, you shouldn't associate with such unsavory characters like Mr. Caffery. They're going to get you hurt and he won't be able to protect you."

"I don't need your bosses protection. I do just fine on my own. Next time you speak to your boss, you can tell him to go to hell." Alanna said exiting. The entire exchange with Volkner made her skin crawl. She felt like she was going to have to take multiple showers to get the feeling of his eyes off her.

* * *

Peter, Neal, Alanna, Diana, and Clinton were wrapping up the Met robberies.

"We have returned the Guggenheim pieces. And we've located and returned the Met pieces." Diana said. "The buyers have all lawyered up."

"Any word on the hackers?"

"In the wind."

"Damn it." Peter said. "We have another problem." Peter had decided to tell the team about Alanna's mysterious phone call. Diana and Jones had proven time and time again that they were loyal to Peter and would do the right thing. It would also help to have extra sets of eyes watching Neal. "After the Met robbery Alanna received a phone call from a unknown male. The caller threatened Neal and knew Alanna was now working for the FBI. After the interview with Volkner we now know the two incidents are related. I want you to tear Volkner's life apart. I want to know who he's working for."

* * *

"How's Ms. Salvatore working out?" Hughes asked.

"Good. She's smart. As good with computers as she's rumored to be. And she's incredibly athletic. Did you watch the video?"

"I did. I'm still scratching my head wondering where she learned all that. And I was wondering how may cold cases could be attributed to her."

"We have no solid proof to connect her to the any cold cases."

"One can only hope. How does she get along with the team?"

"She gets a long with Diana and Jones."

"And Caffery."

"It's interesting. I don't know all of their history but there is one."

"Do you think it will adversely affect the team?"

"No. Neal is more focus on her than pulling any of his usual tricks, so having her here is helpful. I spend less time worrying about Neal getting into trouble, so that's also a positive. And, although she'll never admit ti I think Diana enjoys having another female on the team."

"Good. Carry on."


	11. Chapter 11

Hath No Fury: Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em

A/N: Fast forward 6 months.

* * *

Neal was sitting in his loft staring the Bordeaux bottle. Contemplating his relationships with both Alanna and Kate. He didn't know what to believe. It was six months since Alanna's arrival and nine since Kate's death, and he still had very few answers. Was Kate dead? Did she betray him? What was her role in Adler's plan. Why did seeing Alanna stir up feeling he had long thought were gone? He sighed. Life had gotten a lot more complicated since Peter caught him. Before his arrest, his life was easy. Plan a heist, execute a heist, reap the benefits. When he was with Kate, have celebratory sex. Now, it was help Peter solve a heist, try to get more information from Adler, and get Alanna to say more than five words to him.

Alanna had worked with Peter and him on a number of cases. But little progress had been made on getting closer to Adler. Alanna continued to get more mysterious phone calls, which he assumed she was doing something with, but the identify had not be discovered. Alanna was frustrated at what little progress they had made on the case and had taken to working out at the FBI gym to combat the restlessness she was feeling. Neal remembered the first time he had heard she was working out at the FBI gym.

* * *

_Flash Back-_

_Neal and Peter had come back to FBI headquarter after questioning a suspect about his role in a ponzi scheme when they realized the entire White Collar division was empty. Peter looked at Neal who shrugged. As they passed through the bullpen, they heard the doors open and a junior agent came barreling in, dressed in gym clothes._

_ "Damn it, now I'm going to be late and I won't get a good spot." The agent muttered._

_ "Agent Blake." Peter said._

_ Startled, the agent in question looked up. "Yes Sir?"_

_ "Where is everyone?"_

_ "At the gym sir."_

_ "The gym." Peter repeated. "Are physicals coming up?"_

_ "No sir." The agent replied clearly wanting to make a break for it._

_ "Then why is everyone at the gym?"_

_ "Well sir, to watch the sparring."_

_ "Watch the sparring."_

_ "Yes sir." _

_ Peter and Neal looked at each other. What could possible be so fascination about watching to men beat the crap out of each other._

_ "Is there anything else sir?" Agent Blake asked.  
"No, but I think we'll join you." _

_ Together the two agents and a conman made their way to the 28th floor. When they exited the elevator there were surprisingly more people than usual in the gym. The funny thing was, that hardly anyone was working out. Everyone seem to be on a machine, but no one was actually doing any exercise. A few people were sitting in chairs near the floor mat to the right of the building. Spotting a few of his friends, Agent Blake left Peter and Neal to join them on the ellipticals. Peter and Neal saw Jones standing against a wall, still in his suit and went to talk to the agent._

_ "Jones."_

_ "Sir."_

_ "What's going on."_

_ "Sir?"_

_ "Why is everyone at the gym, but nobody is working out?"_

_ "Oh, because of that." Jones said nodding to the door to the women's locker room._

_ Out came Alanna and Diana dressed in sports bras and black pants. Both women were laughing as if they didn't have care in the world.. Neal's eyes widened at what Alanna was wearing. He couldn't believe she would wear something like that in public. He was about to throw his jacket over her, when both women stepped onto the floor mat. After a series of warm up moves, the women began to stretch. Both Diana and Alanna had incredible flexibility and Neal noticed, more than one man kept his eyes trained on both women. _

_ "First to 10?" Alanna asked.  
"Sounds good. You have a good weekend?"_

_ "'Eh it was okay. I had to do some errands so I didn't get to go up to Ithaca this weekend. You? I remember you mentioned something about you and Christie picking out something for your apartment?  
"Christie wants a new sofa. I keep telling her the one we have is fine, but she insists on needing and new one. Except she can't make up her mind on the one she wants. It's driving me crazy."_

_ Alanna laughed and got into a ready position. Diana followed and then the two started punching, jabbing, kicking, and throwing each other all across the mat. At one point Alanna executed a strong arm take down that send Diana crashing to the mat. Not to be out done, Diana executed a perfect Judo throw which laid Alanna out flat on her back. Several minutes later Alanna and Diana were sweaty and breathing heavily. To be honest almost everyone was breathing heavily, but only Alanna and Diana had exerted any sort of physical activity. _

_ "I see why everyone is at the gym." Neal said._

_ "How long has this been going on?" Peter asked._

_ "A week?" Jones replied. "But this is only the second time they've sparred. Usually Alanna and Diana just trade techniques. Do some tai chi."_

_ "And it draws a crowd this big?" Neal wondered._

_ "Well, word got out that they were going to spar today so there's a bigger crowd. The first time they fought there weren't too many people. But then someone told someone else about the first fight and now there's usually at least four or five agents here hoping to get a glance at the two fighting."_

_

* * *

_

Alanna had integrated into the team well. She had bonded with Diana, having girls nights when things were slow. She and Jones talked about sports, together they had taken the office betting pool more than once. Peter would deny that he adopted strays and say it was all Elizabeth, but he had set the tone, by accepting Alanna, everyone else accepted her. He adopted her into his little FBI family, and now whether or not she approved, she had a family for life. On a more personal front, he had made little progress in making amends. Alanna was stubborn as hell and she was still obviously angry about what had transpired six years ago.

Neal sighed. He missed her. He missed day long movie marathons, wondering aimlessly through museums, late night chats about potential targets, and quiet breakfasts on Sunday mornings.

"Thinking heavy thought?"

"Hey Moz. I'm not sure heavy is the correct term."

"Lanna or Kate? Or is it both."

"Why do you assume its about a woman?"

"When it is not? There are two great mysteries in life. Women and what happens after we die. Since there haven't been any other death threats besides the one from Alanna's mystery caller and you haven't been injured lately, I'm going with women as your problem."

Neal smiled at Mozzie and sighed. "Both acutally."

"I take it little progress had made with Alanna."

"Yes."

"You didn't expect her to forgive you easily."

"She calls me by my first name most of the time now. Unless she's annoyed with me than she calls me Caffery."

"That's typical though."

"Yea, she used to do that when we first met. However, she won't stay alone in a room with me for longer than five minutes. And five minutes is usually how long it takes for her to gather her things and bolt out of the room. She only talks to me when its case related."

"She isn't like other girls Neal. You can't charm her into forgiving you. You need to prove to her that you are sorry. She's protecting herself."

"Protecting her self. What is that suppose to mean? And I am sorry."

"Neal, she fled across the world when you two broke up. You know she has a complicated past."

"I know Moz. I need to get everything in the open so we can move past it."

"Have you tried asking to meet with her?"

"Moz, she doesn't talk to me unless its case related."

"So get her some where neutral and confront her. But don't be antagonizing, she'll just you down faster than you can say Malbec."

"Neutral... FBI headquarters, public places, one of your safe houses?"

"I don't think that's going to work. It needs to be private but somewhere she can't make a quick escape. You could temporarily kidnap her? Force her to listen."

"No we need to be subtle. Put her in a setting where running away would be frowned upon. I'm going to need more allies." Neal said a plan forming in his head. "What are you going Saturday night?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Fancy coming to a dinner party."

"Oooo. The plot thickens."

Neal took out his phone and hit number four on his speed dial. "Elizabeth. I need a favor. Do you think you could help me organize a dinner party for five. No, I'll cook. I have just the thing. Thanks."

"So what are we having?"

"Her favorites. Prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and peach pie."

"Buttering her up huh?"

"I'll take all the goodwill I can get."

* * *

A/N: Up next: A peek into Alanna and Neal's past, including their breakup.


	12. Chapter 12

Hath No Fury: Chapter 12

Discliamer: Don't own 'em, except Alanna.

* * *

Peter, Elizabeth, Neal, Mozzie and Alanna sat the Burke's dining room table enjoying coffee and pie. The meal had been delicious, everything cooked just the way she liked. The fact that they had her favorite meal made her pause for a second. But she thought nothing of it. Peter was a red blooded American male, who, without a doubt, enjoyed a well seasoned prime rib with all the sides. But how did El know about her love of all things pie from Ameretta's or that her absolute favorite was peach?

"El?"

"Yes Alanna?"

"The meal was delicious."

"Thank you, but I didn't cook."

"You didn't cook." Alanna said suspiciously.

Neal sensed where this conversation was headed. "Mmmmm. This coffee is delicious isn't it Moz."

Before Mozzie could answer, Alanna glared at him and Mozzie swallowed his retort.

El looked at Neal, a deer in a headlights look on her face. "No. I didn't cook." She said hesitantly.

"Oh, Peter did you cook?"

"No." Peter said confused.

Before Neal could do some damage control Alanna turned to him. It was the first time the entire night she had looked him.

"Alanna." Neal said holding his hands up as if to ward off a physical attack.

"Neal. Why... What is the point of all this?" Alanna said flatly.

"The point?"  
"Why the elaborate set up? Why are you pulling Elizabeth and Peter and Mozzie into this."

"Because you won't talk to me."

"I talk to you everyday."

"Yea, about cases."

"We don't have anything else to talk about. What do you want to talk about? The weather? How the Ranger's did last night?"

Peter stood up. "We'll just..."

"Sit down." Alanna and Neal said together.

Peter sat down uncomfortably. He looked at El and Mozzie who were both watching the intense debate going on.

"I don't mean the small talk. You won't talk to me about what happened six years ago."

"There's nothing to discuss."

"We have plenty to discuss. What happened six years ago?"

"There's nothing to discuss." Alanna said getting angry.

"Is an apology what you're after? I'm sorry about how I handled things."

"And sometimes being sorry isn't good enough. And it isn't how you handled things. Although next time break up with a girl before moving on to the next one."

"We were broken up. What do you want me to say?"

"There's nothing to say Neal."

"Why won't you forgive me?"

Alanna looked at him stonily.

"Alanna. I know I made some mistakes. I know you hate me."

"I don't hate you Neal. If I hated you I never would have come back."

"Then why won't you forgive me. We broke up, I moved on."

"Whatever, you moved on its in the past. This conversation is over."

"No Alanna. It isn't. Your obviously still angry about this. I want my best friend back. I want to have movie nights and museum days. I want.."

"You. You, you, you. I don't _**want**_ to be your friend Neal."

Neal looked hurt. He couldn't believe it.

"I can't be your friend." She said quietly.

"Alanna..."

"I spent six years forgetting you existed. Loosing myself in fight clubs and adrenaline highs. I took a lot of unnecessary risks. Did thing's I'm not proud of. Anything to forget you and Kate." She spat.

"Alanna... I'm"

'"If you say your sorry again Neal I won't be responsible for my actions. I can't be your friend Neal. You made your choice Neal. You choose her."

"You stop loving me."

"Excuse me? I stop loving you? No, you checked out of our relationship long before we broke up. You promised." Alanna said stubbornly refusing to let the tears in her eyes fall.

"Neal, Alanna." Mozzie started.

"I promised..." Neal said quietly, confused.

"You promised." Alanna said turning from him. Not wanting to let him see the tears fall silently down her face. She rubbed at her eyes.

"Alanna."

"You promised never to..."

"I..."

"It was after that night I told you about my parents. Do you remember?"

Neal looked at her in silence.

Alanna looked around, these people who she wanted to call friends. How desperately she wanted to call them family. They were good people. The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them. "I remember how my dad use to look at my mom." She started quietly. "He use to come home from work and sweep her into his arms and spin her around. I remember his laugh whenever she told him about her day, the funny things she did during the day. How he wrapped her in his arms when they watched me play. He always smiled when she came into the room. To my dad, my mom was the most precious thing in the world. As a little girl I wanted that. I wanted someone to love me as much he loved her. I wanted to be cherished. In his eye, she could do no wrong. And then she died. And he was never the same. He stopped smiling. Stopped laughing. Whenever he looked at me, I knew. I knew he was seeing my mother. I looked exactly like her. Same red hair. Same violet eyes. And then he died. I was 10. They told me it was a heart attack. But I knew the truth. He couldn't live without her anymore. He died of a broken heart."

El looked at Alanna, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Lanna."

Neal looked at her. He remembered the story, remembered how difficult it was to get her to trust him, to admit she loved him, and the promise he made to her.

Alanna was lost in her thoughts. "I swore then, I'd never fall in love. I'd never loose myself so completely in someone that if they were gone I wouldn't be able go on. And then I met this boy. This charming, charismatic, blue eyed , beautiful boy. Who picked my pocket on the first day of school."

"Alanna." Neal said in a strangled voice

"Some how, despite myself, I fell in love with that boy. It took while. I spent a lot of time trying to deny what I felt. And he was in love with me. I remember rebuffing him at every turn. Oh, I tried to deny it. I lied to myself. I didn't want to be in love with him, but he got in some how. One day it just came crashing down on me, I loved him and he loved me. And he promised. You made a promised Neal."

"Alanna."

"You promised you won't break my heart. It was a long time coming. It was months before I finally was ready to admit it. But when I told you I loved you, you told me you loved me too and that you would never break my heart"

Neal didn't have a response. Peter and El looked at him. He looked so forlorn. "Alanna."

"I know it seems like I didn't love you because I didn't follow you to New York immediately but we needed the money. I knew you were proud of the bonds you forged, but I knew if we cashed too many of them in, we'd get caught. I figured I'd do the job and then join you in New York, we'd have enough money to tide us over until the heat over the bonds died down. The payday was big considering it was suppose to be a simple job. Eight weeks tops, planning, execution, and clean up. We could handle being a part for eight weeks. We decided I'd come visit whenever I could. I remember visiting you after that first week you settled in New York and meeting Moz. I was glad you had made friends. You were always the social butterfly, you drew a crowd where ever you went. A few weeks later you were in the middle of pulling your long con on Adler and you stopped answering your phone. I remember calling Moz and asking him what was going on. He said you were deep into the con, immersing yourself into the Nick Holden alias. He told me about Kate, you know. How you seemed distracted by her, spending a lot of time with her, learning everything about her. I didn't think anything of it at the time. I thought it was all part of the con, that she was the way in. The entire time we had been together you had beautiful women throwing themselves at you and you never once strayed. I thought, he won't stray. He loves me. He promised."

Alanna paused. "And then I got the call that the job I was doing was going to take an extra six weeks. I was ready to quit right then and there, but I had made a commitment and I am a woman of my word. I wanted so badly to leave San Francisco behind and join you in New York. We fought. Do you remember that phone call? You accused me of not wanting to move to New York. That I was stalling because I was afraid to move back to New York, the place that held so many memories, both good and bad. I told you I needed to see the job through. And you said if I was going finish the job, I should forget about moving to New York. I quit the job. I packed through the night and took the first flight out to New York. I hardly slept the entire time. I knew you were still angry and you needed time to cool off, so I stayed at a hotel. A few days later, I saw you in the walking down the street, with Kate."

Neal got up and went to Alanna. She moved away from him. Neal closed his eyes, he didn't want to hear the rest of the story.

"You were smiling and holding her hand. I asked Moz about her. I asked him why you were getting so close to a mark. It went against everything we had ever learned about being a con. He wouldn't tell me what was going on. I called you a few times but you never picked up. A few days after I saw you with Kate the first time, I went by your apartment. But you weren't there, so I went by the little park near your place. And I saw you."

Neal wanted it to stop. He wanted to go back in time and prevent this whole conversation from happening.

"You were kissing her. Looking at her the same way my father use to look at my mother. I wanted to hate her. I hated you. I hated Nick Holden. In becoming Nick Holden, Neal Caffery, my Neal was gone. I... I didn't know what to do, so I left. Do you understand now, why I can't be your friend? There's too much history, I can't go back to being your friend Neal. Please just leave me alone." Alanna begged, tears in her eyes.

She left the other four guests in a stunned silence. Neal hadn't known she come to New York. Didn't know he had, had a choice between Alanna and Kate. He moved to follow her outside.

"Neal, I think the last person she wants to talk to is you." Peter said softly.

"Peter, I didn't know she was came to New York. After the phone call I didn't hear from her. And then Kate was there..."

"Oh, Neal." Elizabeth said.

Mozzie sat there in quite contemplation. He remembered every encounter with Alanna and compared them to his dealings with Kate.

"Moz?" Neal asked.

"I warned you. You're an idiot."

Neal looked at him.

"I told you she would break your heart. I would have chosen Alanna over Kate."

"Moz?" Neal asked. "I thought you like Kate."

"No, I tolerated her. She distracted you long enough until we missed our opportunity to get Adler."

"Moz, you can't still be mad about that. Besides the code wouldn't have worked."

"She broke up with you while you were in prison."

"Fowler."

"Oh, please. She managed to stay off the grid after you two broke up the first time, you don't think she could have slipped Fowler?" Moz said incredulously. "Alanna stayed for you. She may have come because I asked her, but she's working with the FBI for you. She got your sentence reduced. And you picked Kate."

"I didn't know there was a choice! I thought we broke up. The fight over the phone was bad, worst than any other fight we had ever had. She hung up on me and then I didn't here from her. You were breathing down my neck about Adler. And Kate was there, she understood. She broke up with her boyfriend to be with me."

"Yea, the boyfriend who she had been with for two years. Just dropped him like a yesterday's news." Mozzie argued.

"Moz."

"Mozzie, Neal." El said. "Stop it. This isn't helping."

"I'll go talk to her." Mozzie stood up.

* * *

"Lanna."

"Hey Mozzie." Alanna said quietly. Looking up at the stars, she couldn't see too many of them but she knew they were there.

"Brief is life but love is long."

"Alfred Lord Tennyson."

"Very good. You still love him."

"I never stopped. It's why I left. I couldn't stay in the same city as him when he was with someone else."

"So you moved across the world from him? You couldn't, I don't know, move out of state? It would have been closer."

"Love isn't logical, neither is heartbreak. I just knew I had to get away."

"What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know. Cats out of the bag. The secret's been spoken. I'll help him catch Adler. Reunite him with Kate and then... fade into the background."

"You were never meant to be in the background. You're too vibrant, exuberant."

"Things change Moz. I stay in a one place too long and my past catches up to me."

"Here's a thought, you could stop running and face your past."

"Easier said than done, Moz. I've spent a long time running. It's a hard habit to break."

"But why come back?"

"Mostly curiosity. Especially after I saw Kate in Argentina. I thought Neal was going to show up."

"So you came back when I called."

"Figure it was a good a reason as any. And I didn't want to run into him."

"And yet look where you are."

"I know Moz."

"Why didn't you just leave when we asked you to help find Adler?"

Alanna laughed self-depreciatingly. "Because I'm a glutton for punishment. Because I never could say no to those baby blue. Because I don't want to see him hurt. Because I'm still in love with him."

Neal had paused at the back door and listened to the last part of Mozzie's and Alanna's conversation. She still loved him. Did he still love her? Unequivocally yes. But how to convince her? She was already weary of him. It was more than earning her forgiveness, it was about earning her love and her trust back. Being the Neal he was before the whole Adler con, well maybe being a better Neal by combining the pre-Adler Neal with the post prison Neal. He could do that, he could show her he still loved her. He needed a plan. A good one. Instead of going outside, he went back inside to think.

* * *

Peter and Elizabeth watched Neal.

"What do you think is going to happen?" El asked quietly.

"I don't know. I knew they had a history. I just didn't know Neal had left Alanna for Kate. I though they had broken up before he got to New York. Before Alanna came around I thought Neal had been waiting for Kate his entire life. Now I wonder if Kate was just a stand in for Alanna."

"I hate seeing them like this. He cares for her, maybe even still loves her. And she definitely still loves him."

"He watches her you know. When he doesn't think anyone is looking at him. He tracks her movements with his eyes, always watching. He'll be the first to get her something, a pen, a piece of paper. He anticipates it so he can be closer to her. She's polite and says thank you but its always strained and she distances herself from him, physically, emotionally. He always looks dejected after she's polite to him."

"I know we shouldn't..."

"No El. We are not meddling in Neal's love life."

"But look at him." Elizabeth said. Neal was sitting on the sofa, head in his hands, fingers buried in his wavy hair, deep in thought. "He's hurting. We need to help him." Elizabeth approached Neal. "Neal?"

"She still loves me." Neal said softly. "I've spent the last year being in love with someone else. Pining for someone else. Grieving for someone else. How can I already know I love her too?"

"Oh, Neal." Elizabeth said holding his hand gently. "Love knows no logic. It cannot be reasoned with. The heart doesn't think in terms of minutes or hours. Did you ever think maybe you never stopped loving her? That maybe, Kate was just a substitution?"

"I just don't know." Neal said. "I escaped Supermax to find Kate. When Fowler had her, I desperately wanted to find her and protect her. Why would I escape Supermax to be with a substitution?

"You still cared for her. Its natural to want to protect someone you care about. She was a friend to you."

"She was always just out of reach. I almost found her. She left me a message, but then she told me to stop looking for her."

"I know, Neal. But maybe she was protecting you."

"I was in Supermax El, how much protecting could I possibly need? The other inmates left me alone. The guards liked me. I was going to be out in five months."

El looked at Peter. Peter came over and sat down on the other side of Neal. "Neal, you can second guess yourself to the grave. Why chase after someone who doesn't want to be found, when there's someone here who loves you know. Who obviously cared enough about you to ensure you were given a minimum sentence. Who's agreed to work with the FBI and expose herself to a whole lot of criticism, skepticism, and suspicion. Its time to start living the present and leave the past behind where it belongs."

"The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift, that's why its called the present." Neal said smiling. "She use to tell me that when I was dwelling on something. When everything with Kate happened, I could her hear voice in my head, saying that."

"So what happens know."

"I need to make amends."

"How will you do that?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Alanna is very complex. Normal things don't impress her."

"Nothing illegal." Peter said alarmed.

"While a well executed heist would cause a reaction in her, I don't think that's going to get the response I want. I'm pretty sure she'd help you put me back in jail if I ruined all her hard work."

"What do you mean?"

"You know who you had to get buy off from the DA and the Judge to get me released into police custody?"

"Yes."

"I think the DA is an old friend of Alanna's dad. And the judge is like a third cousin twice removed or something. I don't have any sold proof about the DA,but I'm pretty sure about the judge."

"How did you figure that out."

"When she told me about convincing the judge to reduce my sentence, I looked into it."

"I'm guessing through some not so legal channels."

Neal didn't answer, he just smirked at Peter.

"But why not get just get you off on a lesser sentence."

"Because I was stupid enough to get caught. It was Alanna's way of teaching a lesson. Not to mention it would have raised some red flags if I got off scott free."

"True, so what are you thinking?"

"I don't know. Alanna doesn't like grand gestures. Its the small things, she always said, that made you know a person cared."

"Like what?" El said. She knew Neal was a romantic at heart. "You must've done special things when you were together."

"Sure, but a good con man never runs the same con twice."

"You aren't conning her" El said slapping his shoulder.

"No but I am going to plan this like a well executed con. I'm going with what I know. This is going to take a lot of planning and some research. She's changed since the last time I saw her. She's got an edge to her she didn't have before."

"Six years changes a person. Especially if half the stuff in her files is true." Peter said. "What was she like before?"

"Lighter."

"Lighter? She weighed less than she does now?" El hit her husband. He looked at her questioningly. "When we had that windstorm last week I thought she was going to blow away."

"I don't mean her weight. Although she's fitter than she was six years ago. She was always fit, but now she's even more so. But anyway, I'm talking about her mood. She didn't take things quite as seriously. She has a wicked sense of humor. She's loves pranks and gets excited over cookies."

"Cookies."

"Oh, yea, When we lived in San Francisco, she use to make me buy her a cookie from this bakery called Specialty's. Nearly every day, warm wheatgerm chocolate chip. She's look at me with the saddest look on her face. I caved every time."

"What else?"

"She likes the park, but not when there are any kids around. She likes having the park to herself, so she can swing on the swings as high as she can. She loves musicals, although she won't admit it. She doesn't like roses because she thinks their cliché. She likes purple freesias. She hates guns but can disassemble a 9mm glock in under six minutes. She refuses to use them on cons. She said if we couldn't pull something without pulling a gun to force the issue, we had no place pulling the con in the first place. Kate always want me to carry a gun for protection." Neal said

"What else, Neal?"

"Lanna hates spiders. She won't even go near the little ones. She use to scream like a banshee, leave the room and make me take care of them before she would even think about stepping foot in the room. She tries to hide it but she's a romantic at heart. She's fiercely protective of her friends. She doesn't like being lied to. If you tell her things straight, you're more likely to get her cooperation. She's afraid of falling in love, of loosing herself in someone else. She doesn't realize loving someone isn't about loosing yourself but about finding a part of you that you didn't know was missing." Neal said the last part in a bit of awe.

"Neal?"

"Alanna is my missing part. She's always been the missing part." Neal said. "When I was with Kate, I enjoyed her company but I tried to con her. We broke up because I tried to con her into going to Copenhagen. I never would have tried that with Lanna."

"Why?"

"Why did I try to con Kate?"

El nodded.

"Because I didn't think she would come to Copenhagen to get the music box."

"But Lanna."

"Lanna would have dropped everything. She'd insist we do our own legwork, but she was always up for a good heist. Besides Lanna would've slapped me upside the head if I tried to con her, not break up with me."

"I don't need to be reminded I hired another criminal." Peter grumbled.

"Cowboy up." Neal said laughing. "Besides Lanna knew me better than I knew myself. Hell, Kate spent the first four months of our relationship calling me Nick and I never had a problem with that. I hated when Lanna called me by an alias when we were pulling cons. I hated calling her anything but Alanna, but aliases are important when your running a con." Neal, was beginning to realize just want a sham his relationship with Kate had been. Their whole meeting was based on a lie. A cleverly construed lie that was meant to gain her trust. But what he had with Alanna had been real. The pain of loosing her was real. He really was an idiot.

"So?" El prompted.

"I have a phone call to make. Do you think Specialty's will ship wheatgerm cookies same day?"

"I don't know Neal, you'll have to call them." El replied.

Neal looked at the clock on the mantel. "Probably too late to call. I have a few things to set up, so if you don't mind I'm going to head back to June's."


	13. Chapter 13

Hath NO Fury: Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, except Alanna.

A/N: More about Neal and Alanna's past.

* * *

Alanna spent the next few days avoiding Neal. Since she technically wasn't required to work at FBI headquarters she opted work at home, piecing together what little information Peter and Neal had on Adler. She typing into her computer g-chatting with a few other hackers when a knock interrupted her. Frowning she got up to answer the door and was surprised to see Elizabeth on the other side of the door.

"El? What are you doing here? Don't get me wrong I'm happy to see you, but I figured after my little meltdown at your house you were going to avoid the crazy lady." Alanna babbled.

"First of all your not crazy Alanna, second we did set you up, although I didn't know Neal was going to corner you into to talking, and third, we're friends Alanna. I'm allowed to stop by unannounced when said friend has not been to work and is hiding in her apartment from her ex-boyfriend."

Alanna blushed. "I'm glad your my friend too El. And I'm working from home, Peter knows if he needs me he just has to call."

El smiled. "I see you aren't denying the avoiding Neal bit."

Alanna shrugged, "I try no to lie to my friends."

"Good." El said looking around. Alanna had papers strewn around her dining room table, much like Peter did when he brought cases home to work on. A huge bay window caught El's eye. "O, I can't believe your view. I think it rivals Neal's view."

"Thanks, the apartment was part of my inheritance when my dad died."

"Your inheritance?"

"My parents were well off, but my grandparents were old european money. When I turned 25 I found out everything had been held in trust."

"Wow."

"Yea, it was a shock. So, what brings you to my humble abode?"

"I wanted to talk about Neal."

"El..."

"Hear me out."

"El, Neal and I are strictly colleagues."

"Alanna you don't honestly believe that do you?"

"El, I am trying very hard to forget Neal and I were friends let alone lovers."

"Alanna, everyone needs friends in their lives."

"I can't El. We can't be anything more than colleagues or occasional conspirators."

"You and Neal have been through a lot. You have a history."

"To say the least." Alanna said. "He got me out of a bad situation. I don't think I would have made it out of adolescence without him."

"Peter mentioned you guys ran away together when you were just kids."

"I trusted Neal, he was my best friend. My protector. I know he doesn't seem the type, he's more of a dreamer, a lover not a fighter. But he can be very protective. Anyway, I led a very sheltered life before my parents died. A privileged life. It was ballet lessons, violin, art, gymnastics, martial arts for as long as I can remember. And then I was all alone in the world. I went from private tutors to public schools. Except I was too disruptive for 3rd grade. I asked too many questions and couldn't sit still for more than five minutes. The teachers thought I couldn't handle the material, you know since I was home schooled. So they insisted I take an placement exam."

"I take it, it wasn't because the material was too difficult."

"No, I pass the exam, in the 99th percentile in all categories. They gave me the test for the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. I did very well on all of them. So they ended up sending me to a private school that had a special program for gifted children."

"And that's where you meet Neal."

"Yes, Neal was already there."

"Most of the other kids there came from wealthy families and I showed up in handy me down clothes and used backpacks. I got picked on because I didn't fit in, not anymore. I resented everything and everyone and I wanted to go home, back to my castle in the sky. I remember sulking the entire first day. I told Neal I didn't want anything to with him when we first. Did Neal tell you he picked my pocket my first day?"

El smiled. "He did."

"Anyway I was so mad, I didn't want to get to know anyone or make friends. I just wanted to be left alone."

"And Neal pestered you until you let him in?"

"Yup. Neal has always been very confident in himself. He just couldn't stand I didn't like him or want anything to do with him."

"What changed?"

"I was almost adopted."

"Almost."

Alanna got a faraway look in her eyes. "I didn't know."

El looked at Alanna. Her eyes were haunted with ghosts from her past.

"When you 10 and in the foster care system, it isn't the wife looking for a new plaything."

El gasped.

"Its the husband."

"Oh, Alanna." El said grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently.

"All my training and it didn't matter. When someone is 5 times your size, all the training in the world doesn't help. I came to school one day with a bruise on my arm and a twisted ankle. Neal spotted it and demanded to know what happened. I brushed him off, told him I fell while climbing a tree. He didn't believe me. It wasn't until my adoptive father went from using me as a punching back to trying to use me as a bed partner that I left. I didn't know where to go, so I went to Neal's. He took me to the police to file a report. It was a turning port for us."

"You guys became friends."

"Yea, after that night, Neal and I were inseparable. There were a few more adoption attempts but they all fell through, different variations of the same situation. I never stayed long enough for the abuse to start. Neal taught me to read people among other things. I earned a reputation as a troubled child."

"I thought the adoption process was extensive!"

"The predators are as skilled as any conman in getting what they want. And El, you have to understand a few things. For some foster kids being adopted is the dream they'll do anything and everything to keep it. Once adopted, government check ups are few and far between, they focus more on infants and children under five. Kids older than five fall through the cracks."

"Alanna."

"Its the reality of the situation. But I was lucky. Neal watched out for me. We were thick as thieves, and twice as smart."

"I'm glad Neal was there for you."

"Yes, he was good for me. He got me to open up and adjust to the reality of the situation. Things changed when Neal turned 16. He went from scrawny to hot overnight it seemed. He always drew the eyes of girls at our school, but when his voice started deepening and he developed muscles, it was liking walking down the street with a movie star. Everyone wanted a piece of him. He was invited to all the parties, had a different date every night of the week."

El was worried Neal had abandoned the young girl.

Alanna looked at the concern look in El's eyes. "He didn't abandon me. In fact, he always made sure to invite me to parties and made sure I was part of the cool crowd. No what happened was puberty."

El laughed. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"Between getting my monthly visitor and developing breast, I started noticing things about Neal. The way his arm felt when he through it around my shoulders or whispered in my ear when we were scheming in class, use to give me butterflies in my stomach. But I remembered my promise to my self, never to fall in love. So I buried what I felt for as long as I could."

"How long?"

"A while. Right after I turned fourteen, Neal got word someone was trying to adopt me and told me. I wasn't going through it again so I decided to split. Neal's mom had died so they were going to stick him in foster care until he was legal. He didn't want to go into the system and I didn't want to get adopted so we left. Figured, they couldn't put him in the system and me with an adoptive family if they couldn't find us. We ran away and the rest is history. Can I get you something to drink or eat?" Alanna said standing up.

"I don't think so young lady. There is more to this story. I get you two ran away together but that doesn't explain why you won't be friends with him."

"El."

"Sit and start talking." El said sternly.

"El-lul." Alanna whined.

"Sit young lady."

Alanna sat pouting. She hoped her pathetic, feed me, I'm so cute, puppy dog face would get her out of talking anymore.

"That doesn't work when Neal does it and it won't work when you do it." El said trying very hard not to look at Alanna and cave. "Not talk."

Alanna signed, "Peter should let you do interrogations. Suspects will start confessing to anything he wants them to."

"Stop stalling and start talking."

Alanna huffed. "Neal and I left New York. We had been on our own for about a year and half living in this tiny town in Florida, when he kissed me for the first time. We had pulled our first big con and were paid our first pay day. It surprised the hell out of me. I hit Neal and took off for a few days in an attempt to forget it happen. I didn't want to ruin what we had. We were friends, best friends. Neal was the only person I trusted in the world and I knew if things ended badly I would loose him. Only problem was, I couldn't forget the way his lips had felt against mine or how safe I felt wrapped in his arms. Neal for his part knew he had spooked him and allowed me to dictate where we went from there. I came back three days later and pretended the whole thing never happened."

Alanna paused and sat back, thinking about the next series of events that would eventually lead her to this moment. "A few weeks later, Neal started dating this girl Juno. She was a few years older than us and a thief. I swear I nearly killed her several times. She got on my nerves almost as much as Kate did. We had our first real fight over her. Neal rarely looses his temper but when he does it is spectacular. He wanted us to do a job with her, but I refused. I kept bugging him about her, making subtle yet clever digs at her, in the hopes he would see the lights and kick her ass to the curb. I tried to tell him she was using him, but he wouldn't listen. We had a full blown, down and dirty, no holds bar fight. By this time we had known each other for about five years, so we both had lots of ammunition to use against each other and we brought our A game to that fight. I accused him of taking unnecessary risks, of trusting someone we didn't really know, of letting his smaller head do the thinking. He fired back saying I didn't trust him, I was jealous he had someone now, that I was scared to love him. He was right of course, on everything except that I didn't trust him. I refused to be part of the heist. The payday was suspiciously large and I thought the intel was bad. There were too many risks and not enough research. I left for a few days to clear my head and follow up on a few leads to other potential jobs. Not to mention the sight of them together made me throw up a little in my mouth."

El laughed. "You realized you were jealous."

"Yes. Anyway Neal went through with the con. I came back the same day."

"I take it something went wrong."

"Monumentally. The third person in their team was halfwit hacker, who didn't have enough experience to fill a thimble. He forgot to hack the redundant alarm relay system for the gallery. The first painting they pulled off the wall sounded the alarm and the anti-theft security measures engaged. They knocked Neal out and left him to take the blame."

"Since Peter never found a record on him I'm assuming you got him out."

"Pulled the fire alarm. It was the quickest way to get him out. It overrode the security system released the security gates and I took a concussed Neal home."

"What about Juno and her partner?"

"The FBI field office in Miami, may have gotten an anonymous tape along with a hand delivered package with evidence regarding the burglary and several other like it a few days later."

"Does Neal know?"

"That I got him out of the museum? Or that I got Juno and her accomplice 10 years."

"The later."

"No, Neal usually lets bygone be bygones."

"How'd he feel about his girlfriend betraying him?"

"It was most lust than love after we got together he admitted to only dating her to get under my skin."

"So you guys got together after the heist."

"No, we didn't get together for another six months. Things were definitely tense after the botched job and I can hold a grudge. I gave him the silent treatments for months."

"How'd he get you to talk to him?"

"Food."

"Food."

"Yea, I love eating. And I eat like a starving fat man."

El looked at Alanna. She weighted maybe 100 pounds soaking wet.

"You think I get up at five every morning to run 10 miles, followed by an hour of gymnastics and an hour of martial arts training because I enjoy it? Well I do, but the real reason I do it, is so I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want."

El giggled.

"To get back in my good graces, Neal learned how to cook my favorite meal, from my favorite restaurant."

"How cute."

"He use to make it for me every year on the anniversary of the day we ran away. Anyway he apologized for the Juno debacle and thanked me for bailing me out. I apologized for about the things I said and told him he was wrong."

El looked at her interestedly.

"I told him he was wrong about me not trusting him, that out of everyone in my life, past or present, he was the person I trusted most. Do you know what he had the nerve to ask me?

"What?"

"Do you trust me enough with your heart?"

El signed. She always knew Neal was a romantic. "What did you say?"

"As long as you don't break it." Alanna said pausing."Do you see El? Why I can't be friends with him. It's how it all started. I left the country for six years because everything everywhere reminded me of him. When we find Kate, he'll be reunited with her and he'll forget about me."

"Alanna you don't know that."

"He broke out of prison for her. Nearly killed a man for her. His devotion borders on obsession. Do you honestly think when he see's Kate, anything is going to matter? The life he's built, the friends he's made? Kate had him wrapped so tightly around her finger, he's ready to snap."

"Your underestimating Neal. Neal's worked hard to get Peter's trust, the trust of the FBI. He won't just throw it away."

Alanna sat their quietly. She had noticed subtle changes in Neal. She didn't know what to think, could she be friends with Neal? They had so much history.

"I still love him, El. How do you be friends with someone you love who doesn't love you back? My heart can't take it. I've dated some great guys, men who treat me like a princess, who have told me they loved me and I can't say it back. I can't say it back to any guy I've dated because I don't feel that way. Because I'm still hung up on my first love. I'm never _**not**_ going to be in love with him. And if I let him back in, if I left myself care, I'm going to get burned. He's going to break my heart."

"You don't know that Alanna. Neal's different man than the one you ran away with. He's grown up and lost his own love." From what Neal had said after dinner, El was not talking about Kate but she wouldn't tell her that.

"I'm scared El." Alanna said in a rare moment of vulnerability.

"You owe it to yourself to try and be his friend Alanna. What's life without love, family, and friends?"


	14. Chapter 14

Hath No Fury: Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, except Alanna.

* * *

A week later, Alanna walked into the White Collar division carrying coffee and breakfast food, hoping to avoid any awkward situations with Neal. She put her things in her desk and approached Diana and Jones' desks.

"I come bearing gifts of coffee and breakfast pastries." She announced.

"Great to have to back, you were missed." Jones said grabbing his coffee and a bear claw out of the pastry box.

"Have anything useful about Adler?" Peter asked.

"Yes. A few of my colleagues, of the less the legal variety, have done some business with him. Never more than once and each person has done a small piece of a bigger job. Adler's no longer using his name. He's going as Lance D'Vinter. There is a money trail for the name. Only problem is, all funds are paid out of Cayman Island accounts, getting information from them is... difficult. I've been data mining the information, hoping to get a common location for flights, shipments, deliveries, anything really but flights are routed through a different airline every time with different origin and destination points, shipments and deliveries are handled by several shell corporation, which I'm still trying to figure out the paper trail."

"Okay, Diana run his new alias through airports, train stations, or any other transportation hubs. Jones I want to know his purchasing activity. Tread carefully. I don't want him to know we're on to him."

Alanna handed Peter his coffee and a offered up the box of pastries to him. He selected a raspberry danish and smiled at her. "Did you enjoy working from home?"

"I miss the hub bub of the office to be honest. My place's a little too quiet."

"Well, welcome back."

"Thanks. What are you all working on?"

"Cold cases and paperwork. Someone refuses to fill out their paperwork." Peter said glancing at Neal.

Neal who was picking out his chocolate croissant, grinned back, "I'm a confidential informant, not an agent as your always telling me. I leave the paperwork to the agents."

Peter shook his head and went back to his office. Leaving Alanna and Neal standing in the bullpen.

"Hi." Neal said.

"Hi." Alanna said.

"I want..."

"Neal, please don't." Alanna said. "What's done is done. There's nothing we can do to change it."

"Alanna, please stop interrupting me." Neal said exasperated. "Can we be friends?"

Alanna thought back to the conversation she had with El. She looked at Neal, whose eyes were hopeful and determined. "I'm not sure but you aren't going to stop until I give in huh?"

"Nope and you know how persistent I can be."

"Yes, I'm well aware of your persistence." Alanna said getting up to head back her desk.

"Are you going to give me answer?"

"Neal, you can be very persistent but I can be very stubborn."

The next few weeks were busy for the white collar division. A new string of jewel heists were committed and Peter kept the whole team busy. In addition the team was still trying to catch Adler. The late nights were getting to everyone and Alanna sat her desk head in her hands slowly drifting off to sleep when Neal came from behind and tapped her on the shoulder, startling her.

"Damn it Neal."

"Not getting enough sleep?" Neal said worried as he handed her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks. And no. I keep getting phone calls in the middle of the night. There's never any answer and I finally just pulled the line from the wall. But then they started calling my cellphone."

Neal looked at her concerned. "We can talk to Peter. He can put a tracer on your lines. We'll find out who's doing this."

Alanna looked at Neal and smiled. "He already has them on there. Its why I haven't changed my numbers. The caller never stays on the line for more than a few seconds. There's no discernible background noise, no heavy breathing, its just silence."

"But it's just phone calls right?"

"Yea. But I have this feeling like someone's watching me."

Neal frowned. "Maybe you should stay at a hotel? I'm sure Moz could set you up with a place."

"I'm not going to run and hide Neal. That isn't who I am."

"Alanna..."

"Neal, I'll be fine. The first sign it's getting out of hand and I'll call you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

They apprehended the jewel thieves when they tried to sell their stolen loot. Hughes gave the team a mandatory two days off.

Alanna sat in her living room going through the mail she had neglected the past few weeks. A think manilla envelope was at the top of the stack. Alanna opened the envelope gingerly without a second glance. She slid the contents out and inside she found a neat stack of pictures tied with a perfectly preserved pink ribbon with an embroidered "AS" on each end. Hesitantly untied the pink ribbon and removed the protective vellum and gasped.

Dozen of pictures fell to the ground as Alanna held on to a picture from a time long forgotten. In it she stood next to a tall man with an umbrella, she was clutching a single white stargazer lily, in the background were dozens of mourners. Alanna remembered the day with a heavy heart. It was the day of her mother's funeral.

Alanna picked up the some of the photos that had dropped. There were pictures from various stages of her life from eight until adulthood. One of Neal and her celebrating her win at the school science fair. Another one from when they went to Disneyland for the first time. Alana flipped through the pictures quickly. Her fifth grade play where she played Dorothy. Her eight grade graduation. Neal and her celebrating their first successful heist. Neal and Alanna dancing at the annual Save the Redwood Charity event. Neal and Alanna relaxing in their apartment in San Francisco.

Alanna fumbled for her phone. "Neal?" Alanna hated how her voice trembled. "Can you come to my place? I know its outside your radius, can you call Peter too and tell him to come too. Is that Moz I hear? Bring him."

Someone had obviously been following her for a while, watching her. It made her skin crawl and her hair stand on end. She didn't understand the fascination. Her father was a business man her mother a stay at home mom. There wasn't anything remotely suspicious about her family. Granted she was wealthy but she hadn't inherited the money until a few years ago and whoever was stalking her had been watching her since she was at least eight.

Peter and Elizabeth were enjoying a quiet morning when Peter's cell phone rang. Looking at it he saw Neal's name After a quick internal debate he answered.

"Burke. No Neal, you can't, it outside, okay. I'm on my way. No, stay put I'll pick you up."

"Honey, is everything okay?"

"It was Neal. He said Alanna called him and she sounded scared. She wants Neal and I to go over to her place."

"Oh dear. Let me grab my jacket. I'm coming with you."

Twenty minutes later Peter and El arrived at June's to see Neal pacing anxiously back and forth. He got into the car and gave Peter Alanna's address.

"I know where she lives Neal. Calm down."

"Peter, Alanna isn't one for hysterics. She is scary calm in the face of danger. She faces problems head on and doesn't ask for help. If she's calling me for help and bringing you into it, she's seriously freaked out."

"We'll help her Neal. I promise."

They pulled up to a beautifully maintained highrise building. The trio entered the building, Neal smiling at the security guard.

"Good morning Mr. Caffery."

"Hi Reggie." Neal said distractedly. "They're with me."

"Of course Mr. Caffery."

Neal put his key into the elevator and hit the "PH" button. Peter looked at Neal and he shrugged.

"In case of emergencies. Mozzie has one too."

The elevator doors dinged softly and opened to a beautiful foyer. The trio walked into the marbled foyer and Peter followed Neal as he made his way to the light filled living room.

Peter whistled softly and whispered to El, "This is where you meet Alanna for your usual brunch?"

"It's impressive isn't it. You should see the view."

Before they entered, they could hear Alanine yelling.

"Dammit Coop you find who the hell is stalking me or so help me you are going to find doing business in New York City to be impossible. I don't need an army. I have a direct line to the effin' F.B.I! You know all the players Coop. Find him."

"Alanna calm down." Mozzie said.

"Calm down? Mozzie somebody is stalking me. For years and I never had a clue."

Neal, Peter, and Elizabeth entered the living room to see Alanna and Moz is a face off.

"Lanna." Neal said.

"Neal?" Alanna said turning. Her violet eyes were tear filled and she looked scared. She sniffled a bit and Neal rushed forward, folding her into his arms.

"Hey now, whatever is going on we'll figure it out."

"Neal, you don't understand."

"Lanna." Neal said firmly. "Whatever it is we'll deal with it, together."

"I don't want you to get hurt." She said quietly, her voice muffled by Neal's shirt.

"I'm not going to get hurt Lanna."

"I don't know who's doing this. There's a chance you or Mozzie or Peter might get hurt. I couldn't..."

"Don't go there." Neal said. "We friends, more than that we're family. We're going to take care of this together."

"I can take of myself Neal, been doing it for almost two decades now."

"I know you can take care of yourself, but I like taking care of you too."

"I hate to interrupt, but what's going on?" Peter asked.

Alanna looked up to see Peter and Elizabeth. She shook her head clear and attempted to smile at the couple.

"I received this in the mail." Alanna said handing Peter the envelope and pictures. "No return address, no postmark, no finger prints."

She sat down on the sofa heavily. Neal sat next to her and took a few of the photos from Peter. As he started to flip through them he could understand why Alanna was so alarmed.

Peter sat flipping through the photos. It was obvious the subject of each photo was Alanna. Alanna eating, reading, running, sleeping. Different ages, different places, different seasons. There were pictures of her by herself, with Neal, with other people including – was that Sophie Deveraux?

"Someone's been watching me for a long time and I didn't even know."

El sat next to Alanna taking her hand and squeezed it comfortably.

"Why would someone do this?" El asked Peter.

"I'm not sure. Before today, you've never had any weird gifts, or mysterious phone calls?"

"No, not that I can remember. And the phone calls started after the broker case."

"Twenty years, Peter. There are photos from every stage of my life. There are pictures of me as a kid, of Neal and me, of me over seas after we broke up. Its all there in technicolor. The oldest picture is..." Taking the stack from Peter she quickly flipped through to pull out the photo that had originally been sitting at the top of the stack.

"This one. It was taken at my mom's funeral. This ribbon? I'm pretty sure is the same one I'm wearing in the photo." She said holding up the pink ribbon. "It has my initials embroidered into the ends."

"Are there any gaps?"

"Gaps?"

"We know who ever is taking these pictures has been following you, but the nature of your... profession makes keeping tabs on you difficult, yet he or she has been able to follow you. Let's put the pictures in chronological order. You and Neal can tell us if there are significant gaps."

Alanna and Neal worked quietly together. Alanna laid out the pictures from before she met Neal and after their break up. Neal focused on the pictures from their time together. It was creepy to see her life laid out in front of her. Overall there were exactly two hundred photos spanning twenty years of her life and a significant portion of Neal's.

Alanna looked at the photos critically trying to think about the time, place, and event of each photo.

"Here." Alanna pointed. "There's a gap of about six months. This picture was taken the dat after my 14th birthday, the day before Neal found out someone was trying to adopt me. We ran the next day."

"There's a gap here." Neal pointed out. "This was taken right before we left Vegas. We left in a hurry. Didn't go back to out place. We grabbed our bags and ran."

"What happened?" El asked.

Alanna and Neal looked at each other. Technically the statue of limitations were up. Alanna arched a brow at Neal, who smiled and nodded his head.

"I'd like to preface this with the fact it was Neal's idea."

"I couldn't have done it without you. You're better at math than I am."

"I've seen you solve complex math problems in your head Neal, don't undersell yourself."

"I'm not. You are better at math than I am.

"We get it, you both are good at math. What happen in Vegas?"

"Sorry Moz." Neal said.

"Neal and I were scamming casinos."

"Scamming casinos? How?" Peter said frowning.

"Counting cards, loaded dice, fixing slot machines." Neal said. "Security at the Flamingo caught on so we split. We made enough to get by for a few months."

"Were you even 21? Because neither of you look 21 in this picture."

"I was." Neal said smiling.

Peter and El looked at Alanna. "17. But I dressed the part and I had a fake I.d. We had to eat and I wasn't going to let Neal take all the risk or do all the work."

Peter just shook his head. Seventeen! "Any other gaps?"

"Here. A four month gap after Chicago. Deal went south, and we left because we got made." Neal said.

"And here, right after I left New York. There's almost a 9 month gap."

"Sounds like any time you have to make a quick getaway you loose whoever has been tailing you."

"But how do they find us again?"

Neal looked at the pictures. "The jobs we took."

"What?" Alanna said.

"After Vegas, Marky got in touch with us, remember?"

"Yea."

"He told us about a job in Houston."

"That's were this picture was taken." Alanna said thinking.

"And after Chicago, Hugo had a job for us in Boston."

"You mean somebody offered us jobs, just so they could continue stalking me."

"That's what it looks like."

"But why?"

"Maybe its surveillance?" El suggested. "They're waiting for you to vulnerable?"

Alanna leaned forward and picked up a picture. In it Alanna looked like she was sleeping peacefully except she had ventilator attached to her face. "I don't think so. I was in a medicated coma for six weeks while my body healed. They didn't think I would ever wake up. If there was ever a time I was more vulnerable, I can't think of one."

El gasped as she saw the picture. Peter, Neal, and Mozzie looked at each other. All knew being in a medicated coma was not a good sign. Neal was sure he wanted to know what happened, but his curiosity won out.

"What happen?"

"Its classified, Neal. I'm sorry."

"It could be important."

"I can't tell you specifics. But the general gist is I was sent to retrieve something from some not so very nice people. The intel I received was bad and it was a trap. Things went south fast and if it hadn't been for Elliot, I'd probably be dead. As it was I broke 4 ribs, one of which punctured a lung. Broke my femur and fractured my collar bone. Not to mention various lacerations. I was out of commission for almost a year."

"Eliot. Eliot, wait Eliot Spencer?" Moz asked eyes wide.

"Yea. Eliot taught me how to be a hitter. Well after I pestered him for a few weeks. I learned a lot form him."

"You teamed up with Eliot Spencer? The man is a legend. He's wanted in a dozen countries. He's managed to slip Interpol surveillance not once, not twice, but three separate times. " Mozzie said.

"Yes." Alanna said with a sense of finality.

El could tell there was more to the story and filed that tidbit away to bring up when she and Alanna were alone.

"I know these pictures are creepy but at the same time they're kind of fascinating. What about this one." El said selecting a picture of Neal and Alanna sitting in front of a cafe window.

"Our first date." Neal said smiling. "I finally wore Lanna down. We had dinner and saw a movie. I wasn't quiet ready for it to end so I pulled her into a all night cafe to ply her with caffeine."

"I couldn't sleep when we finally got home. I almost botched the job we had the next day."

"But you didn't and we pulled it off."

"Yea and then slept for the next 24 hours."

"What about this one." El said handing a picture of Neal and Alanna dressed to the nines. Alanna was dressed a knee length strapless empire waist plum gown with delicate beading on the bodice. Neal was dressed in a classic black tux. They made a striking couple.

"Neal was hell bent on making me experience all the high school experiences I missed since I dropped out. This was taken outside the Space Needle. Neal had somehow gotten tickets to Seattle Preparatory High School's prom and surprised me. We were suppose to leave that night, we had just finished a job, but Neal convinced me we could stay an extra night. I didn't know it was because he wanted to humiliate me in front of dozens of teenagers I didn't know." Alanna smiled fondly leaning to rest her head on Neal's shoulder.

"You enjoyed it. How many girls can say their boyfriend serenaded them from the top of the Space Needle?"

Alanna laughed and shook her head. "Sure I can laugh about I now, but then? I didn't have the same self confidence I do now. You totally put me on the spot, literally. I had a spot light on me while Neal's up on stage singing Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight. Every girl glaring at me because I had the hottest guy in the place serenading me. It was definitely memorable."

Neal wrapped his arm around Alanna. "We had a good time together, didn't we."

"Sure whenever you weren't making flirting with every girl within a ten miles radius."

"I did not flirt with every girl."

"Neal, your natural state of being a flirting. You can't help yourself. You see a woman, young, old, black, white, asian and you turn on the charm and she's weak in the knees."

Neal pouted. "I do not. Tell her Peter."

"Sorry partner, I'm going to have to agree with Alanna here. Although to be fair I don't think you realized when you do it."

"True. Like I said, Neal's natural state of being is flirting. Its okay, I got over it a long time ago. And I'm sure any girl you data will eventually get over it too." Alanna said patting Neal's arm patronizingly. "Why do you think I made you work so hard before I agreed to go with you?"

"Work for it." Neal said with a gleam in his eye.

Alanna recognized that gleam and scooted away from Neal. "Don't Neal."

Neal pounced and Alanna jumped up from the sofa and took of running down the hall.

"Damn it Neal. You know I hate being tickled. Neal! Neal stop!"

El, Peter, and Mozzie looked at each other and smiled. Neal hadn't been this playful since Kate's supposed death. There was a lightness there where only sadness and guilt had been. Each had determined Alanna was good for Neal. Intellectually she could match him witty retort for witty retort. She didn't seem to as affected by Neal's charm as most of the female populations. And she was very direct when it came to dealing with Neal when he was doing something stupid.

But Neal wasn't the only one affected with Alanna's presence. Alanna had helped to fill holes in everyone's life. She had given Diana a sparring partner and an ally in a field dominated by men. Jones got a conspirator in his prank war with Neal. Although Neal didn't know Alanna was helping him, only that Jones' pranks had gotten more sophisticated. Peter got a technical analyst that could match anyone else the bureau had to offer and a pseudo daughter, much like Neal had become his pseudo son. El got a shopping buddy, a young woman to mentor, and a pseudo daughter. And Mozzie gained a friend and an ally to keep Neal out of jail.

* * *

Neal chased Alanna into the hallway and trapped her between a linen closet and the laundry chute.

"Neal, don't you dare come any closer."

Neal smiled mischievously, faked left and caught Alanna when she bolted to the right to the try to bypass him. His hands when directly to her side and his fingers danced up and down her sides.

"Neal." She laughed. "Sto-oo-p."

Neal ticked for a few more minutes before stopping. With both hands on her waist he looked down at her. Alanna tilted her face up.

"Neal?"

Neal leaned in and kissed her softly. Alanna resisted for a second before kissing him back. After a few seconds? Minutes? Neal pulled back.

"Stay with me."

Alanna's brain was a bit addled by Neal's kiss. "What?"

Neal smirked, he loved he was still able to get Alanna off centered. "Stay with me." He repeated. "I don't want you to stay here by yourself."

"Neal, this building has twenty-four hour security. I live in the penthouse eight floors off the ground."

"Please, Lanna. I need to know your safe."

"Neal, I don't think June needs another house guest."

"She already knows something is wrong. I'll tell her about the photos and the phone calls and she'll make you stay at the mansion."

"Alanna narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't."

"I would and I'll tell El I don't think its a good idea for you to stay here by yourself."

"Your going to sic June and El on me!"

"Yes. So back a bag for a few days."

"Neal, its been eight months since this whole thing started. I don't think its going to be resolved in a few days."

"So pack for a few weeks."

"Neal."

"Pack." He commanded and dropped a kiss on the crown of he head.

Alanna huffed and went to her room to pack. She could deal with drug traffickers, mob bosses, gang bangers, and skeevy con men but June and El? Combining forces? No thank you, those two together were an unmovable force who knew what they wanted and how to get it.

Neal re-entered the living room to see Mozzie, El, and Peter pouring over the photos.

"See anything interesting?"

"You have been all over the world?" El said. Holding up a candid of the two of them in front of the British Museum and another one of Alanna falling off a camel.

"Yea, Lanna's never been one to stay in one place for long. So we moved around a lot. We've been to every continent except Antarctica."

"I don't think Alanna should say here by herself. I'll call Hughes and set up a safe house."

"Not necessary Peter. Lanna's going to stay at June's with me."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "You got her to agree to stay with you."

"He threatened to sick June and El on me. He's not playing very fair." Alanna said carrying several plates.

"I though you were packing." Neal said.

"I got hungry so I made a sandwich. And then I figured you'd all be hungry so I made more." Alanna said putting plated down in front of everyone. "Grilled cheese with avocado and turkey for El, turkey cranberry for Mozzie, Deviled ham for peter, and peanut butter and jelly for Neal. Beside I hate packing." Alanna said pouting.

"Oh, no." Neal said. "Don't think because you made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I'm going to pack for you."

"But I made it with your favorite jelly." Alanna said. When she saw Neal wasn't going to budge, she brought out the big guns.

Peter, El, and Mozzie looked as Alanna eyes got bigger, her lower lip jutted out in a pout, and water began to fill her eyes.

"Please, Neal?" She sniffled.

Neal tried to look away but then Lanna tilted her head and Neal was a goner. "Fine. I'll pack for you."

"Yay! My suitcases are in the linen closet. Finish your sandwich and then you can pack." Alanna said as she stood up to get the drinks for everyone.

"You just caved like a guy on diet who's been given a milkshake."

"Did you see her? Could have said no if she turned the Look on you?"

"That was the Look?" Peter said incredulously.

"That was a level one Look. There are three levels and by level three I guarantee you will be willing to anything she wants to get her to stop with the Look." Neal shuddered. "I'm out of practice. She use to have to use a level two to get me to do her packing."

"And what's with the PB&J? I figured it'd be to plebeian for you."

"Don't mock the sandwich. It's my favorite." Neal said taking an enthusiastic bite. He had to stifle a man. It was a delicious as he remembered. Neal was so focused on his sandwich he didn't notice everyone staring at him.  
"You never order it when we eat the Deli near the office."

"That's because they use commercial jelly. Lanna makes her own jelly." He said distractedly.

"Neal? It's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It isn't going to solve world hunger or the U.S's dependence on foreign oil." Alanna said setting a glass of milk in front on him, she set glasses of iced tea in front of everyone else, she even handed Mozzie a bendy straw."

"I haven't had one of your sandwiches in years. Let me reveal in the awesomeness."

"You make your own jam?" El said

"Yea, it's one of the things I use to do with my mom before she died. My mom and I would make all sorts of jam and jelly through out the year. It one of the few clear memories I still have of her."

"That's wonderful Alanna. So is it strawberry or raspberry in Neal's sandwich?"

"Pomegranate actually." Alanna said.

"Of course, Neal would never eat something as common as strawberry jam." Peter said smirking.

"So good." Neal replied polishing off the rest of his sandwich. He opened his mouth.

"Yes, Neal, I'll make sure to pack some so you can have it at Junes. As long as you get to packing."

"Fine." He said getting up and leaving for Alanna's room.

"And stay out of my intimates drawer."

"Hey, you're the one who wants me to pack for you."

"Typically boy." Alanna said getting up. Louder she called, "I mean it Neal."

"Too late." Neal called from inside her room.

"NEAL!"

Peter, El and Mozzie laughed as they enjoyed their sandwiches and iced tea.


	15. Interlude: Like a Fine Wine

Hath No Fury: Interlude

A/N: I couldn't get this out of my head so I though I'd share it with all of you. Also thanks for all the reviews and alerts, it make me smile.

* * *

Alanna and Diana walked into Charlie's a steakhouse near the office on a Wednesday to see a half dozen FBI secretaries seated at a corner both and Neal and Peter sitting across the way chatting amicably.

"Damn I forgot today is Wednesday." Diana muttered.

"What's the big deal about eat here on Wednesday?" Alanna asked.

"Oh Diana? Diana come sit with us." A bubble blonde called from table of secretaries.

Diana donned her diplomatic smile and looked at Alanna. "I hope you don't mind listening to mindless chatter while we eat lunch."

Alanna glanced at Diana. "Why can't we eat with Neal and Peter? Or better yet get a table by ourselves?"

"Unless you want every crack pot put through to your phone and every one of your faxes loss? We're going to have to endure the 'Girls'." Diana said grimacing.

"Lead the way." Alanna said having hear horror stories from some of the other FBI agents who had gotten non-stop phone calls from 'concerned citizens'.

"Letty, Libby, Rosalie, Meghan, Marissa, Natalie, how are you?" Diana said using her 'diplomatic voice'.

"We're fantastic! We have a wonderfully unobstructed view today. How are you? Come sit. You haven't eaten with us in a while." The bubbly blonde who had initially called Diana over said. "Who's your friend?"

"Alanna this is Letty, Libby, Rosalie, Meghan, Marissa, and Natalie. Girls this is Alanna Salvatore." Diana said pointing to each of the girls as she said their names. Natalie was the bubbly blonde who had initially called them over.

"You're the new consultant." Natalie said as Alanna and Diana took their seats.

"Yes, I -"

"Oh you are so lucky to be working with Neal." Rosalie sighed.

Alanna looked over at Diana who subtly roller her eyes.

"I-" Alanna started to answer.

"I mean look at that hair. I bet its heaven to run your fingers through that thick silky mess. I mean he must have the most incredible bed head." Rosalie sighed again.

Before Alanna could reply, their waiter came. The girls order salads, dressing on the side, no croutons, no cheese. When the waiter got to Alanna she smiled.

"I'll have the New York strip steak, rare, seared on both sides, loaded baked potato, and a raspberry peach iced tea."

The secretaries looked shocked at Alanna. They couldn't fathom someone ordering such a decadent meal and still maintaining her figure. Diana grinned, finally someone who ordered some real food. Every time she was "invited" to eat with the girls she always had to grab a sandwich on the way back to the office so she wouldn't starve.

"I'll have the same. Except I'll take my steak medium." Diana said.

The waiter nodded and flipped his notebook shut, scurrying off to the kitchen to put in the table's order.

"Diana! You'll have to work out for hours to work off those calories." Libby exclaimed.

"Aw, no worries." Alanna said. "Between chasing perps and our usual sparring, I'm sure Diana won't have a problem working off the calories. Plus I'm pretty sure Christie would love her even if she was fat."

"True." Diana said. "She always says I'm too skinny."

"El told me the same thing! She had Peter bring me a box full of her chocolate toffee cookies. I swear she thinks I don't eat or something. But the cookies were delicious and I got to lord it over Neal. He does keep trying to steal them."

At Neal's name the girls sighed.

Alanna looked at Diana who shrugged.

"I could drown I those blue eyes." Meghan exclaimed. "Imagine waking up to those blue eyes every morning."

"Eyes shmyes. I'd love waking up with his arms wrapped around me. Can you imagine? He's got a swimmer's body." Marissa said heatedly.

"And it was so romantic how he pined for Kate." Letty said. "He broke out of prison for her and then got caught by the FBI because he was heartbroken over her disappearance. Why can't my boyfriend be like that?"

Alanna snorted and all eyes turned on her. "Sorry. Please carry on with your fantasy." Alanna said amused.

Diana's eyes widen she was about to remind Alanna about crack pots when Letty interrupted.

"I would totally drop my boyfriend for Neal Caffery." Letty exclaimed hotly.

"Neal is just a man." Alanna said quizzically.

"Just a man." Natalie said outraged.

"Yes. In fact I'd say Neal is like every other man. Mature in body but had the mindset of a 17 year old."

The girls glared at her.

"Ah, Lanna? You might not want to antagonize the girls. Remember what I said about crack pots?"

"Diana, Neal is like every other man on the planet. He belches if he drinks his wine to fast. He leaves his wet towels on the floor after he showers. He get's pissed if you move his easel two degrees to the right and believe he will know if you move his easel two degrees to the right. He flirts with anything in a skirt and under 60. And heaven forbid if the man gets sick. Its 'Lanna will you make me soup,' 'Lanna will you read to me,' 'Lanna my head, arm, back, body, aches.' The man is helpless when he's sick."

Letty, Libby, Rosalie, Meghan, Marissa, and Natalie all looked at Alanna in awe.

"But there has to be some good things about dating Neal." Diana said.

Alanna looked at Diana. "Not when he's being a child and ignoring everything you tell him."

"Come on Lanna, Neal must have some good boyfriend qualities otherwise you wouldn't have dated him for so long."

"Yes, I suppose there are. Hmmm... He never forgets your birthday or anniversary. He _**will**_ always bring you chocolate when you PMSing. He'll give you a back rub without being asked when you've had a rough day. Not to mention, and I swear if any of you repeat this to Neal I will make your lives miserable, by far the best lover I've ever had. Very considerate, not to mention what the man can do with his tongue and those fingers. And I'm sure he's like a fine wine and had just gotten better with age."

All the girls swooned. Alanna cracked an eyebrow at Diana. Diana leaned over and whispered to her.

"I didn't want you to get all the crack pots. This should appease them."

Alanna shrugged.

"You dated Neal." Letty exclaimed.

"Yes. For about a long time."

"And you guys lived together." Libby said. Marissa hit Libby on the shoulder. "What the whole towel thing gives it away"

Diana smiled. She was finally off the hook for getting grilled about Neal.

"Yes. And no I'm not telling you anything else. You can take the information I have given you and use it how you like. But remember if you tell Neal about our little secret I make sure none of you can ever use a computer again. And then you will have to leave the FBI and never see Neal again."

The girls eyes went wide. "We promise." They said in unison.

"You're good." Dianna whispered.

"Years of practice." Alanna said. "Given them a secret to bond over and you're one of them, even if you aren't really."

Their meals came and Alanna dug into it with gusto.

"My. Gawd. Best. Steak. Ever." She moaned. She didn't notice that several heads, including Neal's, turn and stare at her as she leaned back and savored the delicate flavors of the seasonings and the steak juice melding together in a savory symphony. "I'm telling you, no one can cook a steak quiet like an American Steakhouse. I have literally been all over the world and nothing compares."

Libby was going to comment but went silent as she saw who was approaching their table. She hit Letty and Marissa who were sitting next to her, who then hit Rosalie and Megan, who got Natalie's attention. Approaching their table was the object of their obsession, Neal Caffery.

"Enjoying your steak Lanna?" Neal asked.

"Yes. It's delicious" Alanna said turning to look at Neal while sticking another piece of steak in her mouth.

"Then I'm very sorry to have to do this." Neal said frowning.

Alanna tilted her head.

"We just got a break on the case we're working on. I told Peter I'd come get you and Diana."

Alanna pouted. "But..."

While Neal had been talking, the waiter silently took Alanna's plate and slid her meal in to a to go box.

"Here, Lanna. You'll have to finish eating at the office." Neal said, holding her box of food.

"But that means eating on paper plates. I hate eating on paper plates." She said her eyes wide . Alanna was about to turn on the Look and Neal headed it off at the pass.

"I know you do, but we have to get back. That foster care's charity is on the line. And I bought you some cake."

"Chocolate cheesecake with raspberry swirls?" She said hopefully.

"Of course." He said holding his hand out to her.

"Fine." She said taking Neal's hand. He tucked it into the crook of his elbow and flipped his hat back on his head he offered his other arm to Diana.

Diana smiled, took her meal from the waiter, and took Neal's other arm.

"Here..." Alanna said opening her purse.

"I've already taken care of it." Neal said smiling. "Ladies, enjoy the rest of your lunch."

The girls were mesmerized by Neal, literally stunned into silence. Boy did they have a story to tell when they got back to the office.


	16. Chapter 15

Hath No Fury Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.

* * *

Neal watched Alanna covertly from Peter's office. She was pacing around her desk, cell phone glued to her ear, gesturing wildly. It had been three weeks since she had received the pictures and since then she had been going non-stop. Phone calls, mysterious day trips, emails, and secret meetings, Alanna was a woman possessed . She had lived in relative security, only worrying about whether she had made a clean getaway and with the delivery of the photographs, the security she had once felt was gone.

Peter watched Neal watch Alanna. Since Alanna had moved into June's, he had sensed a change in their relationship. Gone where the awkward silences and quick getaways. Neal was genuinely smiling and laughing again and in Peter's books, that was a good thing.

"How's she holding up?" He asked Neal. Neal's power of observation was incredibly astute and when it came to Alanna, Neal was almost hyperaware of her.

"She's stressed out. She barely eats and I know she isn't sleeping well. She needs something to take her mind off of things. Do we have another case? We can distract her with a new case."

"No new cases Neal, it seems with all the dust Alanna is kicking up, criminals are lying low. Or maybe it has something to do with somebody called Dutchess out for blood. Either way there hasn't been much criminal activity that warrants the attention of the FBI. The weekend's coming up, though. You should try to distract her. I've got people watching her place in case she gets any other suspicious packages. You and Moz have your feelers out. We'll figure out who's stalking her. It will just take sometime."

"I know, Peter. It isn't going to be easy."

"I know Neal." Peter said clapping the young con man's shoulder. "Go take her out to lunch. Get her out of the office and off her phone. She's going to get a brain tumor with that thing attached to her ear all the time."

Neal grinned at Peter and left his office to distract Alanna. He made his way across the bullpen. He plucked Alanna's phone from her hand, tossed it into a drawer, and slammed the drawer shut.

"Neal!"

"You need a break. You've been running yourself ragged ever since you've been back. We're going to take a break and eat lunch, in a restaurant, with silverware and linen napkins."

"And a decent wine list?" Alanna said dryly.

"Yes."

"Neal. I don't have time..."

"Alanna you need to eat. You had coffee this morning."

"I had a muffin."

"You mutilated a muffin. I'm pretty sure if I reassembled the muffin you 'ate' this morning there would be one bite missing."

"I haven't been very hungry." Alanna said quietly.

"I know. You've been stressed I get it. But you still need to eat. Your contacts will still be there when we get back and no you can't take your phone with you." Neal said steering Alanna out of the office and into the elevator bay.

Once they were seated at the restaurant Neal took a second to examine Alanna. Her violet eyes were tired. On a good day Alanna looking ethereal, seemingly untouchable, today she seemed a little more mortal than immortal.

"Stop staring at me Neal. It creeps me out." Alanna said without looking up from her menu.

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep Lanna?" Neal asked.

"About seven years ago." Alanna said off handedly.

Neal thought back, seven years. That was right before they broke up. A pang of guilt shot through him and he grimaced.

Alanna caught the look and sighed. "Sorry Neal. That was out of line. You're right I haven't been sleeping well. Part of its sleeping in a new place and part of its because of this whole mysterious stalker thing."

"How's the search going?" Neal questioned, burying the guilt.

"I managed to a get hold of Marky and Hugo. Both of them mentioned they were told to give us the job but they never got the name of the guy who coordinated the job. Coop still hasn't found who's been taking picture of me. And none of my other contacts so far have any more information about Adler. In short, I've got nothing. I'm frustrated and none of my regular channels are working. I'm going to have to call in some favors."

Neal reached across the table and squeezed Alanna's hand reassuringly. "Let's do something this weekend."

Alanna laughed and shook her head. "You want to do something this weekend?"

"Yes. You've been working to hard. You need a weekend off."

"Neal I need all my free time..."

"No." Neal said firmly. "We are not going to do anything work related, Adler related, or stalker related this whole weekend. We are going to visit a museum or two, walk through Central Park, see a movie, anything but work."

Alanna started to protest but Neal cut her off again.

"All work and no play makes Lanna a dull girl. You contacts will still be working, you just won't be hassling them. I'm sure they will be grateful you aren't calling them every 20 minutes asking for an update."

"I don't call them every 20 minutes. I call them every 15."

Neal dragged Alanna out of the apartment at 9 Saturday morning.

"Neal, it's early."

"You get up at 5 every morning to run and now your telling me 9 is early."

"It is, when we're suppose to have a lazy day." Alanna said yawning.

"I said we were going to do something non work related, not that we were going to have a lazy day."

"Taking a weekend off means being lazy. Where are we going?"

"Guggenheim has new exhibit put up by an up and coming curator. We are going to go check it out?"

"Sure."

Alanna and Neal spent the morning wondering leisurely through the Guggenheim. They critique the art, talked about their friends, and reminisced about their travels, both separately and together.

"Where did you go when you were overseas?" Neal asked walking shoulder to shoulder with Alanna.

"All over, but one of my favorite places was Thailand. It was so different than anything I had ever experienced. Bangkok is this bustling metropolitan city, all bright lights and crushing heat. But you travel to the countryside and its lush green jungle and animals you've only seen in captivity. And the coast? My god, the water is so blue and so clear. A great place to sit on the beach, sipping on some fruity drink with an umbrella and just relax."

Neal laughed. "Well I don't know about fruity drinks with umbrellas, but there's a Thai food place near here, how about some lunch?"

"Really?" Alanna turned to look at Neal, her eyes excited.

"Yea, come on. If we leave now we can beat the afternoon lunch crowd."

After a delicious meal of spicy seafood curry and fried banana, Neal and Alanna made their way to Central Park and walked around for a few hours before heading back to the loft. Alanna was sitting on Neal's sofa when his phone rang.

"Caffery." Neal said picking up his phone. "Hey Peter. No, we just got back. Hold on let me ask." Putting his phone to his shoulder he got Alanna's attention. "Lanna you want to have dinner with the Burkes? I think Elizabeth has a new caterer she's trying out."

Alanna thought for a second. "Sure why not. Tell her we'll bring the wine." Alanna said getting to change.

"Peter, we're in. You hear her? Great, see you at seven."

At seven sharp Alanna and Neal arrived at the Burkes front door. Neal was about to pick the lock when Alanna slapped him hard on the shoulder and scolded him.

"Neal. We are the guests."

"It's faster this way." Neal whined.

"You know this why Peter always give me the extra cookie. I don't go breaking into his house."

"Peter gives you the extra cookie because you use that pout of yours to guilt him into giving you his cookie."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do. You use that, sad puppy, pouty lip, wide eye look no one can say no to."

Before Alanna could respond, Peter opened the door.

"I'm surprise you didn't let yourself in Neal"

"I'm the guest. You should be letting me in." Neal said archly allowing Alanna to enter the Burkes' home first.

Alanna shook her head and took both bottles of into to kitchen to talk to Elizabeth.

"How'd it go?" Peter asked quietly as he watched Alanna laugh with El.

"Good. I tried to keep her distracted. We spent the morning at the Guggenheim, walked through Central Park, and visited the zoo. She's relaxed now. Hopefully she'll stay that way until Monday."

"I'm sure you'll distract her." Peter said smiling.

El exited the kitchen smiling. "Neal." She said embracing the young con and handing him a glass of red wine. Alanna followed El with her own glass of red wine in her hand.

"Hi El." Neal said kissing her cheek. "How are you? You had the luncheon this afternoon right? The one at the Waldorf?"

"Yes, it went off without a hitch. Thanks for the wine suggestions, everyone had rave reviews about it."

"You can't go wrong with that particular Bordeaux vintage." Neal replied smiling.

"Dinner's ready. I just finished plating everything. I'm trying a new caterer and want to know if he's up to par."

"Sure El, do you need any help?" Neal asked.

"No, but thank you for asking anyway." She said her voice trailing off as she went back into the kitchen to retrieve dinner.

Alanna, Neal, Peter and Elizabeth sat talking about various things. Neal and El chatted about the various new exhibits starting around the city. Alanna and Peter discussed how the Knick's season was progressing. Not a word about Adler, Alanna's mysterious stalker, or anything remotely FBI related was discussed.

Monday morning came sooner than one wanted. Alanna and Neal arrived to the FBI office fully rested and recharged. They had spent Sunday reconnecting, much to Neal's delight, and thing were looking up.

Alanna opened her computer to find no news on the either cases she was working on. Dejected she sat down and tried to focus on other cases. She pulled her phone out of the desk drawer to see one new voice message waiting for her. She didn't recognize the number but at this point it could be from any of her contacts she had called recently. Connecting to her voicemail Alanna listened. "Lanna, its Coop. Listen I found the person who's been taking pictures of you. He's dead. Call me and I'll give you more details. Sorry about this kid, I know your looking for answers."

Alanna sighed and dialed Coop's number. "Hey Coop... You know what precinct is handling the investigation? I'm going to try and have Peter get me more info. Thanks Coop I owe you one."

Alanna scribbled the details from Coop and made her way up to Peter's office. She knocked on the door and stuck her head in. Neal and Peter were in the middle of discussing something related to a different case. Both looked up with identical looks of exasperation on their faces. Alanna smiled, she didn't know if it was Neal picking up facing expressions from Peter or vice versa.

"A contact of mine said just called to the guy who's been taking picture for me is dead."

"How do you know it's the right guy? Do you have any proof?" Peter asked.

"Peter, do you always question Neal's sources?"

"Yes."

Alanna thought for a second, carefully forming her response. "My contact is a dealer."

"A dealer? What kind of dealer?"

"Information mostly, but he dabbles in other things. Some tidbits are more rumor than fact, but, as I'm sure Neal has told you, we rely a bit more heavily on rumors and speculation. Anyway you could get us access? I want to check out this guy's place and see if there's a reason why he's been stalking me.

"You know what precinct?" Peter asked.

"34."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Peter." Alanna said gratefully.

Twenty minutes later, Peter, Neal, and Alanna were pulling up to a plain apartment building. Peter parked and the trio exited the car and made their way up to the stairs to the fourth floor. Peter flashed his badge at the officer outside the apartment and he let the three of them inside.

Inside, the apartment was trashed. There were papers everywhere and the coffee table was overturned. The black leather sofa had long tears in cushions. Whoever had killed the photographer had been looking for something. Neal, Peter and Alanna split up to see if they could find any clues as to why he was stalking Alanna.

"Do you recognize him?" Neal asked picking up a photo of a middle aged balding man with camera around his neck up.

"No. I've never met him before." Alanna said frowning.

"He was probably paid to take pictures of you." Peter said examining so loose sheets of paper on the kitchen table.

Alanna traveled deeper into the apartment until she found a locked door with several large boot prints on the door. She wondered why there was a deadbolt on an interior door and why kicking it in hadn't worked. Taking her lock pick set of her purse she quickly made work of the three deadbolts on the door (a bit of overkill if you asked her, but at least whoever had ransacked the apartment hadn't gotten in). Opening the door carefully, she poked her head in. It was the photographer's dark room. She looked around and sighed softly; she was relieved to find there weren't dozens of pictures hang from the dry lines. She noticed a stack of pictures sitting neatly next to light box. Tentatively she started flipping through the stack and found pictures of her since she had returned to New York. She took the pictures with her to show to Peter and Neal.

Before she exited the dark room she took another look around and found a safe hidden in the corner of the room behind some photography equipment.

"Hey guys, I found a safe." She called out.

Neal and Peter came into the bedroom and saw Alanna on her knees examining the safe. She tried the handled and signed. Locked tight.

"Think you can crack it?" Alanna asked.

"Yea." Neal said looking at it. It was an old safe, probably from the early 80s. A simple combination lock. Alanna moved out of the way as Neal sat next to the safe. "Three numbers, 0 – 99..."

"1,000,000 combinations." Alanna said helpfully. "Well technically one million permutations, but I suppose you don't care..." Alanna said trailing off.

Neal turned the dial experimentally, nodding to himself; he put his ear to the safe and began turning the dial. 3-19-56. He turned the handle and opened the safe. Inside the safe were the victim's passport, and various other items. Neal handed the passport to Peter who flipped through it. The trio walked out of the dark room to examine the items in the safe.

"Grant Haskell, 49, New York native." Peter whistled. "He's been all over the world. I wonder if it was all photography related."

"May I see?" Alanna said. Alanna took the passport from Peter and opened it up. She flipped through it and frowned. "I think he's been all over the world following me."

"Following you."

"Yea. I don't think it's a coincidence he's been to every country I have in the same order I have. Sure there are some countries missing, but by looks of the visa stamps, he's entered what ever country I was in within days of my arrival."

"What do you mean there are some countries missing?" Peter asked.

"Sometimes its safer to enter a country by not going through the official channels. So I didn't."

"Of course." Peter said shaking his head.

"The thing is, I used aliases while traveling and I had multiple passports from multiple countries. He must have been following me closely in order to arrive in the same location as me on the same day."

"Okay so we've established he's the one following you. But we still don't know why. What's that binder?" Peter asked.

Wordlessly, Neal handed Peter a binder. Peter flipped the binder open and saw dozen of film negatives.

"How much you want to bet those are all of me?" Alanna sighed.

"Anything else?"

"Yea. There's a notebook, looks like a journal." Neal said flipping through the pages quickly. He opened the book to the first page and read aloud.

"August 5, 1988. V asked me to following some girl he saw in the paper. Said she looked like someone he once knew. It looked like the girl was attending a funeral. She's a striking child, vibrant red hair and big violet eyes. She seems familiar but I can't seem to place her. I snapped a few photos and sent them to V like he asked. August 12, 1988. V received the photographs and wants me to follow her. I told him I wasn't about to stalk a child. He told me it wasn't stalking it was observation. V offered me $25,000."

"$25,000 to follow me around and snap photos of me."

"$25,000 in '88 was a lot. He probably couldn't say no to that kind of money." Peter said.

"We need to figure out who this V is."

"We should follow the money." Peter said. "Whoever this V is, he's been paying Haskell for years now. If we can trace the money maybe we can figure out who is having you followed."

"I saw his mail when we came in, maybe there's a bank statement in there." Alanna said leaving the room.

Neal closed the journal and handed it to Peter who put it into an evidence bag.

"At least there's no one around to take pictures of her anymore." Neal said. "Although I wish he was still alive so we could figure out who is behind this."

"That's probably why he's dead."


	17. Chapter 17

Hath No Fury: Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Without further ado... the next copy of Hath No Fury.

* * *

Since Haskell's death wasn't connected to any open FBI cases, Peter, Neal and Alanna were forced to table their examination of the evidence and work on a new case assigned by Hughes. Solving Haskell's murder was left to the NYPD and Alanna was not happy about it. However Alanna, Neal, Peter, Clinton, and Diana were seated in the conference room discussing an underground fighting ring which was being used to launder mob money and was at the heart of a racketeering ring.

"Peter, unless you have a fighter or you know someone who knows someone there's no way to figure out when the next fight is going to be. These fight are invite only. " Neal said.

"Well we need to figure out where the next one is. They're moving a lot of money through these fights. We need someone to get close to the main operation and shut it down."

"That's not going to happen. We're talking about the mob Peter. Sending Neal in as some charming high roller isn't going to work. The mob doesn't trust easily." Alanna said flipping through the file.

"What if we sent in our own fighter?" Diana said.

"There's no guarantee our fighter would win. There are no rules, not tapping out, no referee. These fights end when someone is on the ground bleeding and broken. Your best fighter wouldn't last three minutes in the ring. Then you have to factor in the fact that unless you're a top contender you won't even be a blimp on anyone's radar." Alanna replied.

"How would someone be a top contender?" Peter asked.

"Well, there's three ways? The first way is to fight your way to the top. You start on the ground level, fighting in smaller underground fight clubs until you get invited to a bigger fight. If you're in fighting shape, have a good manager, and catch the eye of the right people, you'll be fighting center ring inside of six months? The second way is to be an international fighter with a reputation. Your manager gets you in a fight with one of the better fighters or someone from inside the organization brings you in. The third way is to go to an open fight night."

"An open fight night?" Peter asked.

"It's certainly the fastest way to get noticed. If your in the fight club circuit, you here about open fight night. They don't happen very often because things tend to get really rowdy and the cops get called in. On an open fight night all the fighters throw their name in the ring, the promoter choose two names randomly to begin the fight, winner takes on the next randomly chosen opponent until everyone has fought. Then the promoter will open the fight to the public and any challengers can take on the night's winner."

"But how can that be fair?"

"Its not about being fair, Di. For some people its about control, the ability to hold someone's life in the palm in your hand. For other's its about survival, fighting is all they know. For other's its an opportunity, that the right person will see them and they get a shot in Vegas or New York."

"We don't have six months to home grow someone. Do any of you know an underground international fighting sensation?" At Neal, Diana, and Jone's head shaking Peter continued. "I suppose we'll have to get someone in the ring on an open night fight. Neal, do you think you're contacts can find out when the next open night fight is?"

"This Saturday." Alanna said looking up from her phone.

Every one turned to her.

"What?" She shrugged. "Did you forget I use to fight in the European and Asian underground fighting circuit? I know a few people here."

"Could you help us get Neal in place?"

"You want to send Neal in to a mob operation? No, he is not going in without a lot of backup. But that doesn't matter, its not going to work. I don't know the right people here to get Neal in place."

"So what do we do?" Jones asked.

Peter looked at Alanna. "Are there woman and men's open fight nights?"

"Sure. The woman's fights don't take as long 'cause there aren't as many contenders and they don't draw as big a crowd, but yes, there are woman's fights."

Neal recognized the look in Peter's eye. "No. Absolutely not Peter."

"Neal, we have to at least put that option on the table."

"No. She isn't doing it."

"She isn't doing what?" Alanna asked brow furrowed.

"No Peter."

"Neal. I know you don't like it..."

"No Peter. Its a mob case right? So let Organized Crimes have it. Let them put someone in deep cover and they can home grow a fighter. But you are not putting her in the ring."

Alanna looked at Neal and then a Peter. "I'll do it."

"No Lanna. Absolutely not. I won't let you."

"Neal, there isn't an FBI agent here who has the experience I do. I can win an open fight night."

"You're out of practice. And why do we have to take them down so soon?"

"Because we think they're going to branch out into other major metropolitan areas and we need to stop them before they manage to syndicate their operation."

"Neal I can do this."

"Your going to get hurt." Neal said. "There's isn't even any doubt."

"That's the nature of the game Neal."

"I'm going in with you then."

"What? No you are not going in with me."

"If you're going, I'm going Lanna. Take it or leave it."

"We'll set you up as her agent. Jones and Diana can be part of her entourage."

"No, if I'm going in as an amateur fighter I won't have a entourage. Neal as an agent will be have to be sufficient." Alanna said.

"So we're going to send you in. You'll fight in the open fight night and get a look at their operations. But Alanna, you have to promise if things get too difficult, if you get hurt too badly you will forfeit the fight."

"Peter."

"No Alanna, I want your word if things go south you'll get out."

"Okay Peter." Alanna said getting up.

"Where are you going?" Peter asked.

"Training. Need to get my body in fighting shape."

"You look good to me." Neal said smiling.

"You're required to say I look good."

"Required huh."  
"Yes as my friend you are to say I my legs look fantastics with these shoes and I look skinny in my jeans."

Neal laughed.

"Alright Alanna, go train and do whatever it is you do in your free time. Neal? Let's figure out how you're going to get us the information we need to get shut this operation down."

* * *

In retrospect the discharge from the gun did sound like a car backfiring. Alanna waited for the impact but it never came, instead she pushed behind a shield, no not a shield, a body. The body fell backwards, blue eyes closed, espresso brown hair disheveled. Anything but this. It wasn't suppose to happen this way. Peter and the FBI had shut down money laundering and racketeering before it could spread. They were putting mobsters in the FBI SUVs when the nephew of the mob boss came out and pointed the gun at her screaming gibberish – no he was screaming at her in gaelic. One of the agents spooked him and the mobster pulled the trigger. Shock, disbelief, anger, desperation ran through her body white hot and the numbness settled in. She sank to the ground carefully cradling her fallen hero.

"Don't you dare die on me." She growled. "Don't you dare, Neal."

"Alanna." Peter shouted as he ran to the duo.

"He can't die Peter. He can't." Alanna sobbed. Hot salty tears streamed down her face.

"Alanna."

"Peter, he can't. He's not allowed to. He has so much to live for." She whispered.

"Will you go on a date with him if he doesn't?"

"What?" Alanna said confused. Her adrenaline was still running high.

"Will you go on a date with him if he doesn't die? You know, give him something to live for."

"Wha? Yes. I'll go on a date with him. I'll go on a hundred dates with him. I'll even marry him damn it. As long as he doesn't die."

"You hear that Neal. She'll even marry you if you don't die."

Alanna looked down at Neal who was pale underneath his perpetual tan.

"I'm a hold you to that. A hundred dates and marriage." Neal said without opening his eyes.

Alanna looked at Peter than at Neal.

"You gonna play possum for much longer?"

"I could have gotten at least another five minutes Peter." Neal said finally opening his eyes.

Alanna's brain still hadn't caught up to the situation and she looked dumbfounded as Neal sat up.

"You aren't bleeding." She said confused.

"No. Thanks for making me wear this Peter." Neal said opening his shirt to reveal a bullet proof vest. "Even if it did ruin the line of my suit."

Alanna's disbelief turned to fury. "You asshole. You made me think you were going to bleed out here on the sidewalk just so I'd go out with you? I'm going to kill you myself!"

Neal cupped her face as kissed her.

She slapped him.

He smiled at her.

"You owe me a hundred dates and marriage."

Alanna scoffed. "I cannot believe you! I thought you were dying! You aren't even hurt!"

"He's gonna have a nasty bruise where the bullet impacted. May have even cracked a rib." Peter said.

Alanna glared at Peter. "And you! I cannot believe you. You conned me."

"Well, not really I just asked if you'd go out with him on a date. You're the one who upped to a hundred and marriage."

"ARRRRRRGGG. I cannot believe you two." Alanna said getting up and stomping away. "I'm telling El you ganged up on me and you used Neal nearly dying to get me to go out with you. I am not going on one date with you!"

"You aren't going on a date with me. You're going on a hundred date with me."

"You know El gonna be mad." Peter said grimacing slightly.

"Sorry Peter, I'm still stuck on the fact Lanna agreed to a hundred dates and marriage."

Peter just shook his head as Neal's giant grin.

* * *

Alanna wasn't sure when it happened. She had gotten over her anger at Neal for conning her into dating him, but he really was sweet. And romantic. And thoughtful. Neal had broken through the walls she spent six years building. It was happening all over again and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was falling head over heals, over the moon in love with him. The pessimist in her thought down that path lay heartbreak, but she couldn't seem to stop her self from falling. The optimist in her thought what a way to go.

* * *

Between the Alanna sat in the conference room reading the journal of the recently deceased Grant Haskell. Grant Haskell had been watching her for years. He had entries on her most intimate moments, moments of triumph and moments of heartbreak. Everything he reported to this mysterious V. Sprinkled throughout the journal were little tidbits here and there about V. Alanna was reading a passage about Haskell reunited with V. He was taking pictures - Photos! Alanna jumped up when she was re-reading her list of what she knew about V. She went to Peter's office.

"Hey Peter, do you have the binders with the negatives from Haskell's apartment?"

Peter looked at her. "I'm having a few of the tech guys look at it."

"I think I have something. The journal mentions he had originally lost touched but he and V bumped into each other in the park and that's how they reconnected. I was hoping to have all the negatives printed so I could go through them and maybe catch a break and see if Haskell got a picture of our mystery man."

"Lanna, Haskell is a photographer, there may be dozens of photos of men in parks. But I'll call down and have them make prints."

"Thanks Peter. But I have a date and I know he was with a young woman. It may not seem like much, but I've worked with less."

The next day, Peter called Alanna into his office. When she entered into his office she saw three large boxes of photos sitting on the table.

"I hope you have a computer program to help you sort through these pictures."

"No, but I have a friend at the Jeffersonian who owes me a favor. She's use to having to sort through mass quantities of data. Hey you think you can get a clerk to help me bring these boxes to my desk?"

"I have something better." Peter said getting up.

Alanna turned and watched as Peter double finger pointed to someone just out of range. She turned back to the box of pictures and waited for whoever Peter summoned.

"Yes Peter?"

"I need you to carry these boxes to Alanna's desk."

"We have clerks for that." Neal said striding into the room to take one of the boxes.

"I have something better." Peter said grinning. "I have you."

Alanna moved to take a box but stopped when Neal gently restrained her. "I've got this Lanna."

"Thanks Neal."

"Any reason why you had Haskell negatives' printed."

"I think he may have taken a picture of the man who asked him to follow me."

"Lanna, Haskell was a photographer. There will be dozens of pictures..."

"I know. But I have a specific date and place. And I happen to know he was with a young woman when he met up with Haskel. You and I have worked with less information."

"True. You need any help?"

"Not right now. I'm going to scan all the photos in and sort all the photos in to approximate time periods first. Eliminate any photos of from after I was born and of me. That should give me a good working population. From there I'm going to narrow down the places the photos were taken. Google has this new picture search feature. I figure I can use it to further narrow down the photos. Fingers crossed this works."

"I'm sure it will Lanna." Neal said placing two of the boxes on her desk. Peter followed behind with the third box. "Let me know if you need any help."

"I will. Thanks."

Several hours later Alanna had all the photos scanned into her computer and had her working population. Using an data mining program she was able to run multiple location searches on the pictures. Alanna sat back watching the program work, picking at a sandwich Neal had brought her.

"How's it going?" He asked leaning against her desk.

"Slow." Alanna said looking up at him.

"Come on, help me on some mortgage fraud cases while your program's working. Please." Neal said turning on the charm.  
Alanna chuckled. "Sure. But I thought you were helping Diana with some intellectual property case."

"We finished that hours ago. Peter's having me go through cold cases."

"Do I want to know what you did to have Peter assign you cold cases?" Alanna said taking a glance at her computer screen. 29% complete, at this rate, it wasn't going to been done until next week. She let out frustrated sigh.

"It wasn't even my fault. Patty caught sight of him when we were heading to lunch."

"Patty the receptionist in the lobby. The one that's in her seventies and thinks her neighbor is a mobster, spy, and international art thief?"

"The one in the same. Peter tired to escape but sadly was regaled with the latest escapades of her neighbor, Mr. Roland Highland. Who by the way is a nice middle school science teacher."

"And let me guess, instead of, I don't know helping him, you ran away didn't you."

"I high tailed it out of there, Patty can talk for hours and I was hungry. I did bring Peter a sandwich and cup of coffee."

Alanna laughed and shook her head.

"Anyway Peter's not letting me go home until I've cleared my desk of the mortgage fraud cases. So I would be eternally gratefully if you helped me."

"Can we use the conference room? It looks like there are an awful lot of files."

"Yea, Peter was not amused I abandoned him to the mercy of Patty and her paranoid delusions."

"Can't be any worse then Mozzie on a normal day."

"Peter hasn't perfected looking interest but being completely checked out of a conversation skill, so its a little more difficult for him."

"I see. Well let's go through these cases. Then you can buy me dinner, we can count this as one of the dates I owe you."

"Of course." Neal said lifting the box of cold mortgage fraud cases.

* * *

The next morning, Alanna sat staring at the picture. It couldn't be. Standing abruptly she made a phone call to her personal banker and grabbed her purse.

"Alanna?" Neal asked. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, fine. I just forgot I was suppose to pick something up. I'm just going to run out and get it." She gave him a half hearted smile.

Neal got up and grabbed her coat and helped her put it on.

"Always the gentleman."

"Lanna, I'm here to help. If you need anything..."

Alanna smiled at him. "I'm just running an errand Neal. I'll be back in a hour."

"Be safe." Neal said quietly.

"Always."

As much as she tried to hide it, she knew Neal knew something was up. She was close to figuring out what was going on. It felt like she had all the pieces of the puzzle she just needed to figure out how they all fit together. Sequestering herself in one of the smaller conference room, she pulled out the contents of her safety deposit box. She pulled several slim moleskin journals and a stack of aged photos. She flipped through the first few journals until she found an entry close to the date she was looking for. Reading the passage several times she closed her eyes in disbelief. Opening her eyes she read a few more pages and felt her heart stop in her chest. It couldn't be...

"Lanna."

Her head jerked up. "Peter!"

"Everything okay?"

"Fine."

"Alanna. If you need talk, El's great listener."

"Thanks Peter, I'm sure your wife would appreciate you offering up her services."

"I'm serious Alanna. If you need anything..."

"I know Peter. I'm on to something but I need a little time to process."

Peter left and looked at Neal who was standing out of Alanna's line of sight.

"She onto something, but she needs some time to work through a few things."

Neal frowned. "I don't like this Peter. She shouldn't be doing this alone."

"She needs to figure this out on her own. This whole business with the stalking photographer is unsettling for her. I think she needs to be able to take control of the situation" Peter looked at Neal. "We can give her that. We – you'll be around to help her off the ledge if it comes to that."

A few days later Neal and Alanna were standing on the balcony at the loft drinking some wine watching the stars twinkle over New York.

"What's going on in the pretty little head of yours?" Neal questioned as he drew Alanna closer.

Alanna looked at him but didn't answer.

After a few moments Neal tried again. "Lanna."

When she turned to look at him he cupped her face as her bent to kiss her. Alanna turned her face and felt Neal's lips brush her cheek.

"Neal, there's something I need to tell you and I'm not sure how to."

"Whatever it is, we can handle it." He said drawing her back into his arms.

"Neal." She said pulling away.

"Alanna, if this is about before, things..."

"Its not about that. I need to tell you something."

"Okay. What is it?"

"I- My-" Alanna took a deep breathe. "."

"Slow down Lanna. I didn't understand a word you just said."

Alanna looked at him. "My mom knew Vincent Adler. Haskell took a picture of them together.

"It could have been a coincidence. Maybe they were there at the same time."

"They were holding hands." Alanna said going inside to retrieve the picture.

Neal looked at the picture saw a young Adler holding the hand of a striking young woman. "So, they new each other. Big deal, it doesn't mean anything."

"It does. My mom use to write in journals. I went to get them and..."

"And." Neal continued for her.

"I think Vincent Adler might be my biological father."

* * *

Review?


End file.
